The most important thing when teaching a significant other to play chess is have patience with them.  Once I taught a girlfriend to play, and she got pretty good after a lot of practice! :)

I taught my wife Starcraft, and she became very good at it.  But to avoid becoming a zit-faced nerd, she quit, and now I can't get her to play anything at all.

Greersome - that advice works for in respect of all women in all spheres of life - not just chess!!

I bought a game for my then-girlfriend, now-fiance called No Stress Chess.  It basically starts out as a card game.  You draw a card when tells you which piece to play.  Each card tells you how the piece moves and captures.  Castling and en-passant are not used at this time.  Later, you move on to playing with three cards in your hand.

After a while, Karen was starting to say things like... "I wish I had a bishop card so I could use it."  That's when we stopped using the cards.

 But here's are a few other big lessons I learned:

1) Never tell her "oh!! I wouldn't have done that!!"

2) Lose a few games on purpose.  Yes, Lose!  Success begets success.  If she wins a few games, she'll be encouraged to play more.

3) Positive reinforcement.  Give lots of praise.  Tell her how happy it makes you to be able to share this game with her.   At least this works for my girl.  She's the greatest. 

Actually we've no plans for children, so future chess players can rest easy!

First to hear the news - ultimately when the kid becomes the world champ

What first?

And we heard about it first!

Well, with two adults playing chess, you child might be the top ten in 7 years in the competition.

Funny, Nuttengud! I don't have a wife, but I have been lucky to have girlfriends (1 at a time... ;-)) who have loved me and Chess. Sorry, I will digress a little here because I have just remembered something. I would tell my girlfriend(s) that Chess comes first - and if they complained, I would tell them that I am not even in the top 25 of things I love most. Chess takes position 1 through 10! Of course, I joke around a lot, so they assumed I was kidding.

Anyway, because of the nature of the game, I would not play with my partner the way I would play with somebody I was not going out with. I would lower the level of the competition. I would make sure that I encourage them if they want my encouragement. I would never rub it in if I won, even if they did that to me. Whatever I did, would be to encourage them to love the game. Chess first, Wife second, me 25th. I would not force them to play... you know how when you love something, you think everybody should love it and they should spend as much time doing it? Lastly, I would learn a hobby of theirs. One good turn deserves another. Not knitting or sewing, of course!

Good luck, and you are a lucky man! 

I have tried to teach my wife the game of chess but she still don't get it.  Now, this is not because I am a poor teacher, it's more like she have to be in command and she cannot be when I am teaching.  She is contented to leave me alone when I am playing.  Unlike Erik's situation, my wife still thinks she can get me to cook.  When she tries that I come back with "go cut the lawn".  She comes back with, "I'ld rather play chess than mow the lawn".

I am fortunate that my wife already knew how the pieces move and how to set up the board (she had been taught this when she was a child, but never really played properly).  That helped us get off to a quick start.  I've covered a few basic mating patterns so far and plan to move onto tactics soon!

Well, we were just blessed with our 2nd daughter. She (born on the June 23) might be a wee bit to young to enjoy the fine game but her almost 4yo sister is making progress (strictly playing with the pieces. No rules whatsoever). 

The Immortal Game is a great read.  I'm sure if she is already interested in chess, she will be inspired to play a game that has lasted the tests of time.  Once she learns piece movement and basic tactics, I'd walk through a game with her.  I often do that with my friends, and we point out various moves and variations that either side could play.  It's all too easy to get broken up into openings, the hard to define middle game, and the end game, but forget how the three blend together in harmony.  Regardless, what do I know , I'm only a child.  Good luck!

My wife too doesn't play chess, though my kids do so from time to time (3 sons). She thinks we are pushing wood around the table like she does with the furniture in the house.

It is intimidating to try to learn something when you have a spouse/partner who is already quite good at something! It is hard to avoid feelings of competition, comparison, or judgment. My wife doesn't play chess, and I don't cook!