I play chess because it is cheaper than heroine.
I play chess because I'm competitive, and what finer, fairer, more noble competition is there than chess?
To crush my enemies, to see them driven before me, and to hear the lamentations of their women?
3 basic things.
1. I'm competitive, and chess offers a competition that I'll be able to participate in throughout my lifetime.
2. It's not designed for me to win (like video games out there). To win, I have to overcome my opponent who isn't going to be pulling any punches.
3. I like learning, and chess offers a game that can't be mastered, and so I can keep growing in it throughout my lifetime.
It reminds me of a quote. I'm not sure how to paraphrase for chess or pancakes.
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~Henry David Thoreau
I play chess because I'm a chess player and I'm not learning another game after all this effort, dammit!
It reminds me of a quote. I'm not sure how to paraphrase for chess or pancakes.
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~Henry David Thoreau
Great quote.
As for applicability here, might I suggest:
Many troll the forums of chess.com without knowing that it is pancakes they are after.
Also, I had most of the chess pieces so I figured...why not?
well, i enjoy playing my friends, and i joined chess.com so i could kick heir butts 
Cheaper than crack, but equally addictive. If you aren't careful, it can cost you your job, your freinds and even your relationships too...You've been warned.
I can handle it. I'm in control of this relationship.
(I think)
Think I'll head down to the Crossroads and see if I can't work out a deal with the Devil.
This is the one game where there is no element of luck whatsoever. Destiny of a win is in your hands only.
Let me illustrate some examples. In tennis, a lines person can make an incorrect call that could cost a player a grand slam. Or your opponent can hit the tape of the net, resulting in a ball dropping short and therefore not being able to get to it.
In cricket, an umpire can call an lbw (leg before wicket). However, after watching a replay you can clearly see that an incorrect decision has been made. Batsmen has been dismissed when he/she should not have.
Poker requires a lot of skill to be able to bluff the opposition, but a lot of fortune is dependant on the cards that are drawn. You have no control of this.
Checkmate is checkmate, the only way you get your opponent in this position is through strategy and luck does not come into the equation in any way.
It is the purest form of mental competition and I will always have something new to learn.
This is the one game where there is no element of luck whatsoever. Destiny of a win is in your hands only.
...
There are others, Tic-Tac-Toe, Checkers and Mancala come to mind.
I've always had respect for people who played and knew what they were doing. I started playing a year ago, back when all I knew was how pieces moved. I've learned a lot in a year, and truly enjoy the game.
This is the one game where there is no element of luck whatsoever. Destiny of a win is in your hands only.
...
There are others, Tic-Tac-Toe, Checkers and Mancala come to mind.
Tic Tac Toe and Checkers are solved games though, so they're not as fun as chess. Never heard of Mancala. Gonna have to look it up.
Hello everyone!
It seems safe to assume that most of you guys here at Chess.com, like me, play chess because you enjoy it. Though I certainly won't exclude the few who might play simply for the mental exercise, because the peices are cute, or because blazing ambition won't let you rest until you've display your superior intelligence by winning a chess tournament.
To you all, I'd like to pose a question:
What do you love about chess? What attracts you to play and keeps you coming back through the losing streaks? What make chess SO AWESOME, in your opinion, that chesslovers the world around would rally to a whole website dedicated to learning and playing chess?
Why do you play chess?