I’m stepping away from chess for a long while.

When I started chess it felt like progress. I was climbing, improving fast, and it gave me a sense that I was becoming something. That mattered to me more than I probably admitted. But over time the game stopped being motivating and started becoming mentally exhausting.

Losing hits me harder than it should. Improvement past this point would require a level of grinding, studying, and emotional tolerance that I just don’t have in me right now. With no local scene, no easy way to connect in person, and everything tied to ratings and online pressure, chess stopped being healthy for me.

This isn’t about blaming the game or anyone else. It’s about recognizing that, for where I’m at mentally, chess is doing more harm than good. I don’t want to keep forcing myself to care when it’s clearly tearing me down.

Maybe I’ll come back someday with a different mindset. Maybe I won’t. Either way, I’m choosing to step away instead of burning myself out completely.

Thanks to the people I played, learned from, and competed with. I wish you all good games and steady climbs.

Have you looked around for a local chess club? Have you checked out your local library?

Unrated anonymous games exist online.