Turnbull, however, does not mention Vietnam in recalling the period today. In 1970, Turnbull dropped out of the College—a decision he says was motivated by his desire to avoid a predetermined life path.

“It was a lifestyle issue, I just didn’t want to get a degree and go teach,” Turnbull said. “I wanted to live life on my own terms. I didn’t believe in a degree or other official pieces of paper.”

BACK TO THE BOARD

When Turnbull dropped out of Harvard, he followed his free spirit to the University of California, Berkeley. But he wasn’t interested in being a student.

For a year, Turnbull lived homeless and became a part of the Berkeley street scene burgeoning at the time.

“I smoked a lot of pot and played a lot of chess,” Turnbull says. He played chess mostly at the Berkeley Student Union for 25 cents a games, earning roughly $5 a day—just enough to eat, he says.

His description of the experience reflects his delight in learning the tricks of the trade. Turnbull spent a week sleeping in a laundry room, regularly stole half-eaten cheeseburgers from a restaurant just after lunchtime, and finagled free meals from a shelter. He spent a few nights sequestered under the bushes behind a wall at the California Institute for the Deaf and Blind.

He returned to the Boston area in 1974 and took a series of manual jobs, moving frequently. At one point, he worked for Sylvania Lighting, replacing light bulbs.

Along the way, he reenrolled at Harvard, but didn’t make it through a full term before dropping out again.

After a brief stint at computer programming school, Turnbull began playing chess part-time in Harvard Square in 1982. The following year, Au Bon Pain opened and he started playing chess there full-time, which he says he has done ever since July, 1983.

BECOMING THE MASTER

Today, Turnbull describes a simple strategy for his chess playing.

“I try to play soundly and develop good results from a good position,” he says. “I used to be more wild and try to force the pace, but now I’m more patient. In the early days emotions were more a part of my game.”

Turnbull now prefers to play it cool, win or lose.

Many of his customers are students from Harvard and other local institutions. He has bested various members of the Harvard Chess Club, including current President Danny E. Goodman ’07.