when did you learn to play, etc

How old were you when you learned chess, who taught you and how old were you when you first beat the person whom taught you?

My older brother John taught me when I was 7 and I finally beat him when I was 20

I was 10, but the friend who taught me wasn't a real chess fan, so beating him wasn't that difficult!

I was 6 or 7ish, I think I discovered it on a computer, which I probably beat soundly within the year because it was a very weak program.

The person who rekindled my interest I've yet to beat, but we haven't played in 2 years, though he's still rated 2000+ on FICS.

5th or 6th grade, so 10 or 11, in school, a teacher brought them out for recess when it was raining outside.

I learned to play when I was 17 I was taught by my Chess Teacher Mike Griffin.

My father taught me when I was 10. It was 1972 and the popularity of chess in the US was at an all time high.  In a stunning upset, I defeated him when I was 11.

I started playing in the beginning of December of 2008, and I can't beat the player who taught me...yet.

My dad taught me to play chess when I was six or seven.  I beat him the first time when I was twenty-three or twenty-four on a backpacking trip in the San Juan National Forest in Colorado.  Great trip for a number of reasons.

I don't remember exactly. Some time when I was a kid, probably taught by my father. I was horrible until I was forced to change high schools and ended up at a small school where chess was popular. Learned how to really play, beat my dad (who no longer wants to play Chess against me for some reason), and played a lot until college. Tried to get back into it about three years ago and failed miserably (kept making bad moves I had identified as bad moves five minutes before). Then one of my friends from that small school ran into me online, and got me to this site.

I began playing when I was four. My father taught me. By way of swindle I beat him on occasion soon after he taught me how to play. Unfortunately I haven't played much since about that time. I've only recently fallen into my present love affair with Caissa.

I learned when I was 11 from my father--it was during the Fischer-Spassky match of 1972. I was able to beat him once in a while when i was 12 and by the time I was 14 was beating him regularly. I have taught my two daughters to play--my 8 year old is playing a lot but can not beat me yet

My dad taught me when I was little, I don't remember really learning. I also never remember beating him. We havn't played a game in more than 15 years or so, until I got him to join this site last week.   

I got him! Check it out:

My cousin and I played when I was about 8, though I could never beat him. Also around that time I attended the Chess Club at my school and got mated by Fool's Mate. Naturally I never went back. After that I used my other cousin's chess engine to play against, and beat it quite often (it was far from Deep Blue).

I started around 1972, also a product of the Fischer years.No one really taught me how to play my older sister bought a cheap plastic set and i taught myself.Not sure wether to thank her or curse her, just kidding i love this game.

I guess I was somewhere around 10 or so. I saw a chess game at Wal-Mart & thought it would be interesting to learn. I got my mom to buy it for me, and I pretty much taught myself. It wasn't until a couple of months ago that I seriously started studying the game. 

i remember my dad showed me half of the moves (no catling and en passant) when i was about four, when i was about 5 my cousin who was maybe 15 showed me the real moves, not that he was a hotshot, but only then was i interested in the game really, after that i left the game, playing it occationaly with my dad, beating him at some times, soemtimes not... only last year did i begin to study sereiously, after i saw one of my friends play, i tried it, i wasn't that bad to start with, over the hanging pieces stage, but at the Patzer stage, i got over it quickly, now we are about even, i'm even stronger as he is out of shape for some years now... and i am studying with a teacher...

age 6 younger better

I learned how to play when I was 6...

ADK

47, December 25, 2008 - the computer and the game called "No Stress Chess" are my teachers.  As well as countless books and articles.  

My daughter wanted to play when she saw a chess set in the library.  She said it was like Harry Potter and she asked me to play.  I knew how pieces moved but never played games.  She made up the rules

The computer still crushes me everyday, and with No Stress Chess - so does my daughter.  I am not big into winning so maybe I am not a real chess player - I am in to learning and using chess as a way to increase my focus and to help me apply what I learn here to other things, like Bass fishing.  However, chess is becoming more important everyday though it won't supplant fishing once the weather breaks.

If not for her, I would not have ever tried to play.