Chess opens in just one short day on June 12th. As we prepare the best year yet, we've introduced you to some of the talent and personalities behind this year's championship match between the Templars and the Celts. In profile today: Jason Kobett, the King of the Celts.

Jason Kobett

Celts - King

What is your favorite weapon? Why?

Personally, my favorite weapon is a sword. I waffle between the flashy elegance of a rapier, or the controlled brutality of a broadsword. Both have their purposes and their place, which happens to be in my hand.

If you could have a fight with anyone living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be against, and with what weapon? Why?

I think that it would have to be with Henry V, because he seems like the sort of person who in his youth knew how to enjoy life, and when coming into his own grew to learn a balance between responsibility and enjoyment. That interplay should make for a very enjoyable fight.

What has chess taught you? What has Human Combat Chess taught you?

Chess has taught strategy, long-term planning, and the realization that sometimes, rushing blindly forward means you miss the little details that cause you to panic later.

Human Combat Chess has taught me that chess can be exciting and unpredictable, having to rely on others to see a task completed according to plan -and if they can't make it happen, having to rewrite the plan on the fly

Introduce us to your character:

Jason the Celt King is a fighter first, team captain second, and chess player third. He is very knowledgeable in his team's capabilities in a fight, and chooses to rely on this more often than his somewhat lacking chess strategy. He likes to think he's witty and charming, but the reality is that he just sometimes says things without the words checking in first.

Any parting words of wisdom?

Follow your passions, they'll take you to places you never knew you wanted to go.