Whats your real name?
David Soucek. – Do you really think this is a good question? Does my real name say anything about me? (Besides of my coordinates, of course.)

Question: why did you choose that nick? You're not such a bad guy!
Když jsem se rozhodoval nad zdejším nickem, pořádal zrovna rakouskej levicovej tisk štvanici na jednoho prudce konzervativního biskupa, kterej je mi – jakkoli nejsem katolík – proklatě sympatickej. A páč BB je termín ze šachů, který jsem tehdy rád hrál, měl jsem volbu jednoduchou. Fotku biskupa Krenna, kterou jsem použil jakožto ikonku, jsem po několika dnech vyměnil za vlastní kontrfej, páč mě nebavilo věčně lidem vysvětlovat, že ten chlap v důchodovým věku nejsem já. :-)

To je vlastně zvláštní, že ačkoli jsem přece jen pár českejch šachovejch knih prolistoval, nikde jsem se se "špatným střelcem" nepotkal, resp. se na to nepamatuju. Ani teï, když jsem ho explicitně hledal a prolít' pár příruček, abych se přesvědčil, že je jako terminus technicus kodifikovanej, tak jsem na něj nenarazil. Na webu se to sice najít dá, ale na to bych se moc nespolíhal. Nojo, každopádně je to jen jeden z relativně dlouhý řady mejch nicků...

How old are you?
(Back to the questionnaire...) I'm 46 years young. I think in about 20 or 30 years I'll learn what the midlife crisis is. :-)

Do you have any children?
Yep, I have a daughter. She celebrated her 20th birthday shortly.

Do you have any siblings? Brothers or Sisters, and Older or Younger?
I have a half-brother, he's eight years older than me. (C'mon, ask something interesting...)

Are you married, single or have anyone special in your life?
Oh, I have someone very special in my life, indeed! I've been married for nearly 27 years to one of the best women on the whole world. (I hope, nobody is disappointed that I'm not free any more... :-))

Where do you work?
Do you mean from where do I connect to BK if I'm not at home? I'm something between a system admin and a maid of all work in a small institute for advanced study.

Can you tell us something about the place you live?
Are you joking? Should I write a homework about the city or what? I live in Vienna. If you are really interested, I'm quite sure there are some books about Vienna in your local library.

Is it true Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in the world?
A very good question and not easy to answer... I don't want to be misunderstood, but to be honest, I don't think so. I was born there, I grow up there and I like Prague really very much, it is a beautiful city, no doubt. I'd recommend to everyone to travel there and to form an impression by him-/herself, but there is IMHO a lot of cities, which are much more beautiful than Prague.

We left Prague in February 1982. It was a dirty, grey and brown city, full of dirty slush, covered with dirty sky, but we liked the majestic silhouette of the castle over the Vltava river, the art nouveau houses on the river (we lived in one of them), the historical centre. At most we probably liked the genius loci or at least something we thought it was. After 1989 the city went colorful, old houses were repaired, nearly everything went better and nicer, but the city we knew disappeared. Today it's futile to search (as most of the tourists do) for Prague's genius loci from the time of Rudolph II, later XIX century, Kafka, Hrabal or even from the later seventies/early eighties... If I'm there, I can see only a nice city (with quite strange people), certainly nicer than Vienna, but it's not the city I liked thirty years ago any more.

Are there differences in the ways of government that you see as an adult in Austria, compared to that of Prague?
I'm not really sure whether I understand the question. Do you mean whether there are some differences between the government in Austria and the government in Czechoslovakia in the time of the real socialism? Well, ugh, we can't compare a – even the worse – democratic elected government to a totalitarian regime, can we? If you insist on it, I'd say: Yes, there are probably some differences, indeed... (Whohohohoho! :-)) – Or do you mean whether there are some differences between the Austrian government and the today's Czech government? To be honest, I have no idea, I'm still reading Czech newspapers, but I'm not able to do some statements about the Czech politics.

How did a czech end up in austria and why did you once say you feel a stranger to both countries?
(Again a very good and a very difficult question...) The first part is easier than the second. We and all our friends had actually a choice, given us 1980-1983 by the police, between leaving Czechoslovakia and being (with more or less the probability, but nobody knows) arrested. We felt that the probability in my case was rather big, because one colleague of mine was arrested only few month before, for four years, for something I had done, too. Our first choice was Germany, we wanted to go to Munich, but the German embassy refused to give us the permission. Then we went to the Austrian embassy (we met two of our close friends there in the waiting room) and it was said, we will be warmly welcomed in Austria, because the government (the old socialist Kreisky, God bless him!) promised to give a political asylum to every declared member of our group (Charta 77).

Why I feel strange in both countries? For sure I'm a stranger in Austria till the end of my days, no matter what I'm thinking/doing. I mean I'm feeling/thinking like an Austrian and I think I'm already an Austrian, but don't tell the Austrians, they would probably laugh. I'm speaking German with a heavy Czech accent, so I have no chance to hide in the crowd, and the most people here are a bit xenophobic (but probably no more than elsewhere in Europe and certainly much less than the Czechs are). – I wasn't worrying too much about the Czech matters/politics in the last twenty years, so I'm really a stranger there, and if I'm reading discussions on the servers from several Czech newspapers, I'm astonished what I can read there, written by the mob with an internet access. I could tell you... I'm not really sure whether I'm a Czech by heart and an Austrian by mind, or whether the opposite is true, but I'm quite sure I'm neither a real Czech (probably no more) nor a real Austrian (and never will be). – But who cares? I'm taking it easy and as an Austrian I'm grumbling about the Czechs – as a Czech about the Austrians. :-)

Tell us something more about your emigration from Czech Republic.
Vašnosto, přece po mně nemůžou chtít, abych bych na tohle téma epičtější. Kór když ani neupřesněj, co maj vlastně na mysli. Takovýhle vzpomínky jsou spíš na dlouhý povídání, má-li to mít hlavu a patu, a při nejlepší vůli si nemyslím, že by tohle byl pro to ten správnej formát, nadto třeba by to ostatní nudilo. Takže to jen shrnu, že rozhodování bylo celkem těžký, vyřizování zdlouhavý, ale místy humorný (Například ve formuláři žádosti o vystěhování, který se samozřejmě musel odevzdat nakonec na policii, což byl jeho smysl, bylo potřeba také vyjádření zaměstnavatele. Aby se zaměstnavatel vyjádřil, musel být už formulář celý vyplněn a jedna z položek byly také důvody k vystěhování. Tam jsem napsal cosi o policejním státě, okupaci sovětskou armádou, nesvobodě atp., prostě co mě zrovna napadlo jako pádnej důvod – a ten vůl kádrovák, místo aby tam akorát napsal, že co se jeho tejče, můžu jet třeba ke všem čertum, milej formulář vzal a šel mě udat na policii za protistátní pamflet, což mi vítězně oznámil, když jsem si to přišel vyzvednout. Takže jsem na tu policii musel jít i já, s estébákama jsme se dobře pobavili nad jeho blbostí, voni mi to vrátili a já mu to zase odnesl zpátky, aby se laskavě vyjádřil a radši už nikoho neudával, když ten papír stejně na policii skončí...), místy únavný (celní procedura se táhla měsíce, páč jsme vyváželi haldu knih a obrazů) a byli jsme rádi, když nám nakonec kamarádi i policajti přišli zamávat k vlaku. Tady jsme to měli sice lehčí než obyčejný uprchlíci, páč jsme nemuseli přes lágr, ale nějak extra lehkej začátek to taky nebyl. Ještě v Česku jsme si to představovali jak Hurvínek válku, tady jsme dopadli docela na tvrdý. Nojo ale asi po půldruhým roce nezaměstnanosti jsem našel job jako pomocnej dělník, to už jsem uměl z Česka :-), a pak to holt šlo časem pomalu nahoru...

If you were given a chance to start your life over without being forced to leave Czech Republic during the communist era, would you stay in Prague instead?
Tý brïo, já fakt nevím. Na to odpovídám pokaždý podle momentální nálady. Asi bych zase jel, což konečně dosvědčuje skutečnost, že jsme se po devětaosmdesátým nevrátili, jakkoli jsme mohli (naše celorodinná diskuse o tom trvala asi pět minut a bylo to ze stolu). Ale dneska jsem rozhodně tolerantnější k lidem, který za komančů akorát drželi hubu a krok a vstupovali do strany, aby oni a jejich děti měli pokoj a nějaký minimální šance. Jako mladej kluk jsem je nechápal, teï to holt vidím trochu jinak.

After reading your profile page I see that you were a bit rebelious. Would you say your rebelious nature was brought on by the citizens of your country and the laws, or by your upbringing in your family?
I don't think that the Czechs are rebelious by nature, oh my God, not at all, they are rather Svejks, if we can generalize. My father (a member of the communist party) hoped, of course, I'll only study "to have some future", as probably every father hopes for his child (me too! :-)). "Guilty" on my (rebelious?) nature are only "bad friends", no doubt.

Bad Bishop, your father was a famous czech writer of science fiction. Do you also have any writing ambicions?
Ne.
PS: Odpověï na Tvou otázku, Londo, jsem musel formulovat co nejkratšejc, ta otázka si o to přímo koleduje, to musíš uznat sám. :-) – Ne, takový ambice skutečně nemám. Jednak tendýruju k tomu, že furt všechno, na čem mi záleží, předělávám a přepisuju, takže nevím jak bych co kdy dokončil. Věci, který jsem kdy publikoval (a už v samizdatu nebo tiskem), bych dneska nejradši neviděl, jak jsou strašný. Druhak, ale to mě napadá až teï, nicméně možná to na mně taky podvědomě leželo celej život jak šutr, fakt slavnýho spisovatelskýho táty sebou nenese jen pozitiva. Pro píšící ratolest to znamená, že ji každej chca nechca na tátovi měří (dokud ho ratolest nepřeroste nebo on nezmizí z podvědomí lidí) a jakkoli já ty tátovo věci moc nefetuju, mám takovej pocit, ze tomuhle měřítku bych nikdy nedorost'. Takže na to rovnou prdim a je po ftákách.

What was it like being raised by an author?
To bylo prïácký. :-) Vyrost jsem mezi haldama knih, tehdy ještě naštěstí nebyly počítače a na televizi se čumět nedalo, takže jsem přečet', co přede mnou neuteklo na strom. Že jsem přes tátu poznal spoustu zajímavejch lidí nebo mi jeho jméno k jinejm otevřelo dveře i po jeho smrti, to taky nebylo k zahození. Konec konců si taky nepamatuju, že by rodiče bejvali měli nějako hluboko do kapsy (i když přímo z toho jsem měl celkem prd), jakkoli měřítka jsou dneska trochu jiný, a to mi taky nikdy nevadilo.

How competitive are you in your games?
To nevim, to a mlaskavě posouděj jiný.

How did you find BrainKing?
Za to může Fencer, že mě sem v červenci 2004 zlákal. Sranda je, že jsem nejdřív ohrnoval nos. Konkrétně to vypadalo takhle:
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"Pane sef, ja bych se Jich opravdu nerad dotknul, ale kdyz mne, jak uz jsem nizeji psal, hraci servery nikterak nerajcujou, pac hraci moznosti nehledam, a brat BrainKinga jako dalsi DS, k tomu namoute nevidim duvod. Vono dost na tom, ze jsem tady na [...], kde mam jeste nekolik znamejch z dob [...], reanimoval [...].
Ted jsem si to na BK (zbezne) probehl a nenasel nic, nad cim by se mi rozzarily oci (coz je zajiste moje chyba, nikoli chyba BK, vim!). Naprosto chapu Jejich pohnutky, ale jednak mi nepripadaj kompatibilni s mejma prioritama, prosim o prominuti, druhak ve vicero nemecky ci anglicky pisicich diskusnich grupach (z toho dvou o sachach) uz strasim tak jak tak, jsa v podstate cizozemakem."
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O dva dny později:
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"Tak jo, uz jsem se priznal Fencerovi, ze jsem teda vcera prece jen neodolal a se zahlasil na BrainKingovi. Me prvni dojmy jsou:
A. Musim davat sakra pozor, abych nehral mnohoho partii najednou.
B. Co se me tejce, stacily by obycejny sachy, to ostatni je balast. Zatim. :-)"
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No a o čtrnáct dní pozděc ze mě už byl závislák. :-)

What is your favourite BrainKing feature?
Huh? – I think the possibility to play various games is quite good. :-)

What is your favorite BrainKing game?
At the moment probably 5-in-the-line. I have no idea what it will be in two weeks.

When you happen to get bored with Checkers, which game will be the next one to collect hundreds of books about?
Hehe, I already started to collect books about go, go-moku and renju. But this part of my library will hardly involve hundreds of titles, I'm not searching for Japanese or Chinese books (yet).

Who do you have on your friends and enemies lists?
There are nearly 30 people on my friends list. I think some of theme are really my friends, some of them are there for another reason (to see whether someone is online, to track nick changes and so on). And there are people, who I like, and I didn't put them on the friends list. – The enemy list is empty, I don't need it. What for? Sure, there are some people around, whom I think to be assholes (they are invited to think similarly about me), but why should I put them on the enemy list? I don't bother them, they don't bother me, I wouldn't accept any games from them, they probably wouldn't accept any game from me, so what?

What do you like to do for fun when you're not on Brainking?
I'm watching movies (DVDs) or I'm taking my part as a father/man in the family game. From time to time I'm playing chess with a friend of mine (last week we started to play go). – I like to be at home, if possible, so the outdoor activities (even to go to the cinema or in a pub) are really minimal.

Where was the last place you visited on holiday, and where would your dream holiday be?
If I'm not wrong my last real holiday were two wonderful weeks in the Alps in summer 1997 (?). Since then I'm enjoying my holidays at home. In the last years I'm consuming the majority of my holidays only 1 day per week, but for several months. I like it, it's actually my dream holiday. :-) – I'd like to visit some places (Grand Canyon, Machu Picchu, Stalingrad, Tuwa), but I'm affraid I'm too lazy to go there.

Do you own any pets? Can you tell us what they are and their names?
At the moment we have one cat. Sometimes, if she want, she listens to the name Malá ("little" in Czech), but in her vaccination certificate is her real name Zottel (something like "shaggy tuff" in German).

What do you consider to be your worst habit?
I don't have any. I don't consider nail-biting, digging in the nose, loud farting or ###### as bad habits, these are my endearing traits.

What question(s) did you hope would be asked, and what would your answer(s) have been?
Now I could be witty or vulgar for free, couldn't I? Actually this is what I don't want to do. :-) – To be honest, I didn't hope for any question to be asked, I rather hoped for some questions to not be asked, I mean the questions like "what is your real name?" and so on. If I understood it correctly, this should be something like an interview (if it's possible at all without any interactivity) and not a questionnaire. Are those anonymous questions, which are in all "interviews" I've read on BK, standard questions for everyone – or are thery really ask again and again? Several of the asked questions are very good and I enjoyed to think about the correct answers, many thanks for them. Maybe I've learned through these lines more about myself than "the patient reader" did. :-)