About Michael Tam
Michael Tam is an Australian chess content creator who plays under the self-deprecating banner of Chess Noob — a label that captures his honest, learning-out-loud approach to improving at chess in adulthood.
He brings a Romantic flair to the board that often feels missing from modern content. He likes the Vienna Game, the Smith-Morra Gambit, and the Schliemann Defence — openings written about more often in 1890s manuals than in contemporary repertoires. The point is not to play optimally; the point is to play attacking, instructive chess that an improving club player can actually enjoy.
For viewers around his rating range, that combination of warmth, honest self-assessment, and tactical openings is a welcoming entry point into serious chess study.
How his Chessiverse bot plays
Michael's Chessiverse bot is calibrated to 1618 Elo and plays in his Romantic style. Expect the Vienna Game and Smith-Morra Gambit with White and sharp, tactical responses with Black.