John Donaldson, inspired by the World Championship between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky, began playing chess in the fall of 1972, at the Tacoma Chess Club. He is an International Master with two Grandmaster norms and has served as the U.S. team captain in twenty-one Olympiads and World Team Championships, including Lucerne 1993 and Baku 2016, where the Americans finished first. He has written numerous articles and books, including The Life & Games of Akiva Rubinstein: Vol. 1: Uncrowned King and Vol. 2: The Later Years and A Legend on the Road: Bobby Fischer's 1964 Simultaneous Tour. John Donaldson lives in Berkeley, California, with his wife Holly.