Why do you like chess?

Tell me why you like chess

I like chess because it gives my mind a break from the constant thinking and phycological workings out of people I have came across in life.

This may sound crazy and strange but true. I am a lot stronger over the board than my rating on here would suggest. My problem is that my first few games are great and then my mind starts to tire but because I am using the game to stop the mental torture I unintentionally inflict upon myself, I continue to play to the point of being asleep... Which is annoying because I want to play at a level more suited to me but find myself stuck at a rough 1500 mark because of this viscous but relieving circle of chess life...  

Probably an answer you wasn't expecting but a relevant answer you got!

I like the history of it and its greatest players and all the variations and different openings and styles that can all take place on a single 8 by 8 board. And on the whole I like the community it attracts, the sort of people who play chess I think tend to be nice thoughtful people