Grandmaster Alex Fishbein was born in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1968. He learned chess from his father, a master-level player, at the age of 4. Alex later studied with the iconic Soviet coach Vladimir Zak, who had previously trained the young Boris Spassky and Viktor Korchnoi.

Fighting Father Time is Fishbein's most personal work yet, and the theme of dissecting mistakes and rising from their ashes is central to the narrative. That journey culminates in this book with his victory in the 2025 US Senior Championship.