Life is not a game sure there are winners and losers but the stakes are far higher than we might realize. Just ask us at bernstein. Bernstein was born in the ukraine in eighteen. Eighty two back when his hometown was part of the russian empire in nineteen o six. He received his doctorate in law from heidelberg university and became a practicing financial lawyer shortly after that bernstein saw great success in his legal career. Earning a comfortable living for himself and his family unfortunately as he would come to learn several times in his life considerable gains were often followed by immense losses. But it wasn't his fault. He wasn't the gambler and he didn't play the stock market. Although he did enjoy the final game chess to be specific he picked it up in law school and found that he had a talent for it one year after he started playing. He was entering competitions all over europe june of nineteen ninety-two his win at the general chess federation of berlin earned him a master title kicking off a spree of tournaments with varying results. Sometimes he placed first or second other times he tied for third or fourth yet. The more he played the more of a reputation he built for himself and he was also outspoken against certain players. Such as jose coppa blanca. Who beat him several times over the years but there was something fascinating about this up and coming wonderkid chess champions and enthusiasts alike spoke highly of him and his name appeared on high profile lists although not always in a good way the bolshevik revolution of nineteen seventeen brought a lot of turmoil to russia with lenin's red army overthrowing the government and setting up its own capitalists and their enablers were rounded up for contributing to the plight of the workers and among them was awesome bernstein. Us wasn't a banker but as a financial lawyer certainly helped them get richer oftentimes on the backs of the most vulnerable. He was practicing in odessa ukraine when he was arrested by the bolshevik secret police in nineteen eighteen.