On this episode, Host Krish Kumar sits down with Mike Klein, the Chief Chess Officer of ChessKid.
Mike Klein (also known as FunMasterMike) started playing chess when he was four years old. When he was six, he played his first national chess tournament and incidentally faced a "movie star"—he lost a game to IM Joshua Waitzkin, the player featured in the movie "Searching For Bobby Fischer." It was this same tournament featured at the end of the film.
In 1987, Klein became the youngest member of the inaugural All-America Chess Team, one of the highest national honors a young chess player can attain.
Klein won the K-3 Division of the National Elementary Championship a year later when he was eight. He also won a Bughouse National Chess Championship in 1992 and the North Carolina High School Championship five times from 1993 to 1997.
In 1996, Klein earned his national master title. He earned his FIDE master title in 2006 and reached his peak FIDE rating of 2326 in 2007.
A self-proclaimed grinder, Klein takes pride in his tenacious and fighting playing style. According to the FunMaster himself, he consistently gets into difficult positions but often manages to squeeze something out of them.
Klein retired from professional chess and has dedicated himself to teaching chess full-time for more than 20 years in Charlotte and New York.
Klein started his career as a chess journalist in 2008 after WGM Jennifer Shahade recommended him to Chess Life magazine's Director of Publications, Dan Lucas. He gained momentum as a journalist after covering the Chess Olympiad in the same year when the United Stated earned two bronze medals.
Klein won the Chess Journalists of America (CJA) award for Chess Journalist of the Year in 2012, 2015, and 2018. He has also won other awards from the CJA, such as Best Tournament Report, and several writing awards for major newspapers.
Klein started his career as a chess journalist in 2008 after WGM Jennifer Shahade recommended him to Chess Life magazine's Director of Publications, Dan Lucas. He gained momentum as a journalist after covering the Chess Olympiad in the same year when the United Stated earned two bronze medals.
Klein won the Chess Journalists of America (CJA) award for Chess Journalist of the Year in 2012, 2015, and 2018. He has also won other awards from the CJA, such as Best Tournament Report, and several writing awards for major newspapers.
Recorded and Edited by Shiv Govil.