What first inspired you to play chess seriously?

you dont have to read the wall of text if you dont want to, just post what inspired you to become good at chess.

only about a half year ago, I discovered that I could go to chess tournaments to get money if I win. I was playing chess for years but never really got good at it because I could only play a few people at it and I usually lost because I was much worse so I didn't really like to play so much. The prize money really made me study hard, and I think I went from like an 1100 player to 1600 now!! At this point chess is alot more interesting to me and I think of the money at tournaments only as a bonus, which should take some pressure off and actually make it easier to win them.

My old man

I've been playing for fifty years and I still don't play it seriously.  For me, it is always for fun.

When I was 5 or 6 my neighbor across the street, his dad, was a champion chess player -- he'd won the New York State championship I recall hearing, he had a couple of beautiful wooden chess sets in his living room, full size staunton sets ebony and walnut, the pieces seemed huge to me, the boards glowed-- I have a poor memory, truly, but those chess sets have stuck with me, ...they seemed to emanate some sort of strange & powerful magic ...I remember him teaching me how the knights moved.

Then around the time Fischer was duelling Spassky my dad bought me a little plastic table ... with a chess board laid into the top -- for a time I became devotee of Petroff's defense... but I seemed to run out of enthusiastic opponents. 

Then, in High School, I was a frosh, some kid rather out of the blue started getting into chess and playing over master games in study hall and it rekindled my interest in chess. He had Fred Reinfeld & Irving Chernev's treasury of chess i think it's called... and when I showed some slight interest he thrust the book into my hands and said LOOK AT THIS>>> LOOK! and he made me play over the moves of the Evergreen Game, and the Opera Game -== I began reading about Alekhine, and Capablanca, and the Hypermodern school... and chess became an enduring affection (affliction?)

I watched Captain Kirk and Mr.Spock play and I thought, of all the board games in their "world" why would they play Chess ? I did some reading about the game, and as the saying goes, "The rest is history".

I've loved chess for a long time :) ... I was first inspired to play it 'seriously' when I learned how much SuperGM's make just for showing up @ a tournament!!!

Ever since then, I realized how badly I want to become a Gm.

Simple. As a child, ... it was war!

Well, in my story, rivalery with some 'genious' kid played a big part too. I remember that some nine or eight years ago, when we were both still in elementry school, I met this kid named Orr at school. Him and I were from different classes, and we met on breaktime.

I used to be in the 'genious' role in my class- the guy who doesn't talk to anybody, doesn't do any homework, brings a huge book to class, and gets straight A's without ever studying, and I really liked that role. Heh, made my, looking back, somewhat pitiful self full of pride. And this guy came along, and I don't remember how I reached that conclusion, but from the moment I saw him, I knew that he was a 'genious' too.

He was the only challanger to my role in the entire grade, but he didn't really seem interested. And so, a not-very-mutual rivalery began.

It grew only more out of proportion when we got to high-school and were put in the same class. Around that time I found out he was a prominant chess player, and quickly relinquished that sport for being 'an idiotic game of ego, that only apes play'.

Last year, against my deepest wishes, he was interduced to most of the social circles I hang around in, and we became sort of friends (I never let him know that I hated his guts). Around that time I entered the internet and somehow got to this site and really loved the game (which I never really put my mind into before). A few days passed by and we went as a group to his house. He then proposed we do a blitz game. I didn't refuse. Dunno why. Anyway I lost in like 10 moves ( I was still a complete patzer, never played blitz ever before).

When I left his house, I vowed I will not let our rivalery corrupt my newfound joy, heh. I decided not to play, our talk about chess with from that point forward.

At least untill I'm above his elo.

Nothing - i dont take it seriosly even now :-)

My buddy in college.  He used to beat me with rook-odds over & over, this pissed me off to no end & I rose to the occasion & got obsessed. :)

My best friend, he was 2 years older than me and became captain of the High School chess team, after he graduated I became captain.

just one of those things, i tend to take things seriously generally,why should chess be any different, i,m not obsessive or anything.

My cousin is currently No. 4 Ranked player in our province. I started playing more watching him.

Someone gave me a chess computer as a present (very rudimentary - this was in 1983 or so).

It was my friend who was studying law, who inspired me to play and practice chess. Once we were travelling together, when he took out his magnetic chess set and asked me to play a game with him. I knew the basic rules and special rules like castling, e.p. etc.

But I was a dummy in strategy and tactics. Of course, he won the game. But that game inspired me to understand chess in a better way. I started playing more games then on and still continue to do so.

My dad teached me. Then I found an opponent which I got a great advantage, but failed to convert it, and lost. I wanted to beat him. ½ year later, his my best friend and we play together for fun.

I think i'm stronger than him now, but statistics shows otherwise.

Mine is during highschool when I don't really study chess or take it seriously. When I was still a freshman I keep playing with my friends and I always win. Reaching 2nd year I became a player of our school participating in matches against other schools. By that time I was beatingeveryone in our school and noone could beat me even the higher years. But there was one whom I can't defeat, my coach and the same time art teacher. But one time I get to beat him and complimented me saying I was the strongest player he ever met. Then I pursue chess, study openings, tactics, etc. Being the only player from our school to get places in tournaments. But sadly In the middle year during my 3rd year in highschool I decided to give up serious chess for basketball. I still play 'competitively' though but unlike before when I devoted my time for chess. Oh and I forgot to mention, I suck now at chess xD. I really missed those times when I keep destroying everybody.

Haha, 4 years old thread is alive again. It was my friends, who were trying to beat me. ;)