KibBlitzing with Maxx Coleman (MC) and Tim Moroney (TM)

Coleman:

Date of Birth: 11/13/1989
Current Place of Residence: Derby, KS

Moroney:

Date of Birth: March 3, 1988
Current Place of Residence: Clawson, MI

- How old were you when you learned to play chess?

MC: In the 3rd Grade.

TM: Eight. My first chess tournament was at the age of 11.

- If you weren’t a chessplayer, what would you be?

MC: Poker Player?

TM: An aspiring professional bowler, or a stage actor.

- Do you have any catchphrases?

MC: Not any I can think of.

TM: "Good concept, bad idea."

- Who will win the World Championship?

MC: Kramnik

TM: Kramnik will walk out with the big prize, despite being strapped to his chair for the duration of each game.

- Is it better to lose a well-fought game against a strong player or to pull off an unlikely swindle against a weaker one?

MC: Neither sounds great to me, but I hate losing--so I guess swindling a weaker one.

TM: I much prefer to lose a well-fought game, as there are troves of ideas to explore and learn from.

- If you could travel back in time and play any tournament of your career over again, which would you choose?

MC: The Denker tournament of champions my freshman year.

TM: I would either travel back to try and improve my performance in the 2006 Denker, in which I scored a very disappointing 2.5/6, or go back to relive the memory of my first state championship.

- What is your best character trait?

MC: Competitiveness.

TM: Flexibility, adaptiveness.

- What is your worst character trait?

MC: Competitiveness.

- How late was the latest time you showed up for a tournament game? Did you still win?

MC: 20 minutes--and yes.

TM: 45 minutes, when I forgot to adjust my watch after changing time zones. I failed to win the game against my slightly higher rated opponent, but I did not lose on time.

- What three words sum up your chess career?

MC: One long battle!

TM: Persistent, driven, late-blooming.