Tim Taylor

International Master Timothy Taylor is both the oldest and lowest rated player in the competition, but don’t count him out. Known for his aggressive and uncompromising play, which has enabled him to defeat over 30 Grandmasters, Taylor is known for his fondness for gambit play. Expect his games to provide plenty of excitement!

Growing up in the small town of Easton, Pennsylvania, Taylor got off to a slow start, only making his first appearance on the U.S. Chess Federation rating list when he was 16. He first came to national attention when he scored a respectable 3-4 in the 1972 U.S. Junior Invitational and gained international recognition when he tied for first in the 1977 U.S. Open in Columbus, Ohio, defeating Grandmasters Peter Biyiasas, Larry Christiansen and Anatoly Lein.

A chess professional for half a century, Taylor has extensive experience as a teacher but is better known as the author of over a dozen books on opening theory including critically acclaimed works on the King’s Gambit and Bird’s Opening. True Combat Chess: Winning Battles Over the Board is Taylor’s most personal work and is based primarily on his own games.