Read About Me and How I Built Lapoc




Ken Connaughton
Ken Connaughton

Hi I'm Ken Connaughton, the face behind Lapoc. I like to play chess as a hobby and to work on my game. I built this website to map my progress as a chess player. I include all areas of the game.


When I have thoroughly studied a specific topic I publish my findings. I present the information so that it is easy for you to quickly get to the heart of it and absorb it. Hopefully this can shorten your learning curve.


Early on I went broad, figuring out what I needed to know. Later when I was aware of the islands of knowledge I had to explore I started digging deeper into specialized areas.




I think it is often easier to make progress on mega-ambitious dreams. Since no one else is crazy enough to do it, you have little competition. In fact, there are so few people this crazy that I feel like I know them all by first name. - Larry Page



I bought books on chess strategy. I read them and read them and read them. I absorbed them one by one. I started with a few recommended manuals on general chess strategy. Then I zeroed in on the different phases with a couple of highly rated books on each. After that I researched and found the best books on specific topics within the various phases.




Life is the only art that we are required to practise without preparation, and without being allowed the preliminary trials, the failures and botches, that are essential for the training of a mere beginner. - Lewis Mumford



Now I look forward to work every day. At first in those early days it was hard to get going with the chess strategy. I felt overwhelmed with the ocean of information I needed to absorb. I would play through GM games that I would find online. I didn't have a clue what was going on.




If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much. - Jim Rohn



I would not have a clue what they were thinking. I didn't know the reasons for their moves. But as time went by I began to lay the foundation for my chess strategy knowledge.




A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him. - David Brinkley



All the while I was analyzing my online games with Chessbase. An excellent piece of software that I bought to build clickable game replayers for the website. It's the industry standard for chess analysis. All the top professionals have it.




What is the recipe for successful achievement? To my mind there are just four essential ingredients: Choose a career you love. ... Give it the best there is in you.... Seize your opportunities. ... And be a member of the team. - Benjamin F. Fairless



When I broke through that barrier of feeling clueless about this great game, my studies took off. The more I learned the more my motivation grew to learn still more. I love nothing more than to open a new book on strategy and devour it. I still have so much to do on the website.




Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally. - David Frost



It's great to have that to look forward to. I will register with FIDE in time when I feel like I'm ready. I play on many chess sites online and my strength is climbing steadily. It's important to have goals in life, milestones to strive for. Best of luck with everything and I hope you're enjoying your chess and your life as much as I'm enjoying mine.


All the best
Ken