What is your story? How did you start playing chess? What have you, and are you doing in chess?

I tried to send you a thank you trophy as I have tried to do for everyone who leaves their story. I guess you have it blocked. Anyway thanks for sharing your story.

Thanks to everyone who has shared their story here. 

since childhood I play soldier toys. when I reach 13, my mother gave my toys to my cousin. at 16 I have been rejected by my classmates, then I start to play chess on my own. at 18, Yahoo.games chess appear, that's when I learn a lot about chess by trial and error. I'm not a big fan of chess engine and GM notation. I want to play by my own, create my own style even study math if it related. I don't care about title and money, I play just to make my self happy. you can called me amateur chess researcher or inner Traveller. chess make me happy

Basic boiler plate startup:

• 1976 Was taught by my dad to play. I was 6.
• Played random games with my brother growing up
• in 1986 my friend Chuck thoroughly pasted me and I didn't have fun. He was a tournament player and loved stomping me. Probably a chess bully by today's standards
• in 1994 bought Yasser Seirawan's "Play Winning Chess" and a USCF membership thinking I'd play some tournaments. Traveling for work got in the way.
• 1996 got married and didn't play again until just over a year ago.
• April 2018 decided to pick up chess again.
• October 2019 - severely addicted to chess books, training videos and chess streams. Trying to get good.

#futuregoodchessplayer

   Chess for me, began seventy years ago in 1951, when I was 13, on a boring foggy San Francisco summer day.  Six friends and I got several chess books at the library and learned to move the pieces.

      We used a red and black checker board and cheap plastic hollow pieces that always fell over all the time. They came in a forty game box. Only Bill my best friend took to playing chess regularly.

      I played in a playground tournament and won my matches easily because they barely knew how to move the pieces.

      In the semi-final games at the 19th avenue park, I lost badly.

Now im 81 and still loosing  badly! . . .

                                          Check out my profile . . . click on it

https://www.chess.com/member/DENVERHIGH

                                                              

 One day in the 1950's I watched Master George Koltanowski performed a blindfold 30 game presentation at the Fairmont Hotel in

San  Francisco, California.

 

     I was impressed when he performed the Knights tour.  I became a member of his Chess Friends Association and joined his chess club. We became friends.

 

      At that time I was a rookie at chess. I used to play in any tournament that Kolty would run and I would always win my round robin matches. They were groups of four and we played six games against each other three games as black and white.

 

     I got tired of winning and I would receive a book from Kolty as the first prize.

 

    One day I said, "Hey, Kolty you gave me this last tournament. Just let me play the others that won their matches so I know I can beat them also."

In his exhibitions KOLTY loved the Max Lange Attack and Pushed the Colle System Opening. . . 

 

                              The Turk Knights Tour

              It was a favorite of George Koltanowski's.

      It's fairly easy iv'e colored so that you can follow the sequence easier. 

                                                  Just copy it if you want to. 

                           Start at H8 with Black moving the knight!

                                         Change on D8 to Blue

                                          Change on F8 to Red

                                        Change on D4 to Green

                                  Start with one color on the board.

                                        Eventually with no board.

                                                   Good Luck!

                  This is the Turks tour that Kolty used.

 

Here is an excerpt from my unpublished autobiography that is destined to be one of the great classics of literature, "My Life and Why You Should Read About It," by T.A. Lapia, Copyright (C) 2019 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 

Big brother taught me chess, he was an extremely serious player and we had good times until about the time I started beating him on a regular basis, then he would turn red in the face and start screaming and pick up the board and throw it against the wall.

I hope that you enjoyed this lovely vignette, if you want to read more check Amazon for the upcoming  book release date.

 

I’ve been playing chess for many years but recently haven’t had anyone to play with. That was until an online friend recommended this website a while back when I suggested we play a game over the internet. I’m so glad she did because through here i have met some truely amazing friends and have also bettered my chess skills by learning. 

chess is not about age, is it?

Long before the internet was an idea and the advent of powerful chess engines was still a decade away, I joined a high school chess club. This was back in Montreal about a year before graduating, so perhaps 1970?

I don't recall why I joined the chess club; most likely for something to do during lunch. I learned by buying several chess books and progressed at a reasonable level for a beginner. However, when school ended and I graduated that was the end of my chess playing days until computerized chess  games were introduced a few years later - in the late 70's and early 80's.

I played two chess games at the time. A stand alone machine that may have been called Chess Challenger. (It was so long ago, I don't really remember and searching the internet did not produce a definitive answer.) The second was the Atari chess cartridge for the Atari 2600.

The Atari game actually cheated!! At intermediate levels, the screen would flash bright colours to avoid "burn in". The computer would take several minutes to make its move and sometimes when the screen finally showed the board again, more than 1 piece had moved, including mine! Talk about a software bug!!

I tried playing the machines against each other, but again, it was difficult as the Atari took so long processing its moves - and cheating.

By now I had joined the Air Force as a Navigator and with this added responsibility my chess playing days faded into history - until about two years ago. That's when looking for a new hobby, I resumed the game, bought a few more books to re-study the game and joined Chess.com

So, I'm back at the board again, so to speak, and "patzing" along . . .  

I am from Indiana, though I lived in several places around the world to settle down.

I learned to play chess for the first time in 7th grade, where a chess club member tried to teach me before destroying me in like 12 moves. :) I did not play for years after. I’ve always been too busy with this or that, and any one of a number of hobbies.

Now, years later, I’ve come back to chess. My children and I have been playing together, and although I am a genuinely terrible player, I enjoy it. It has been helpful in keeping me sharp mentally, and I have loved learning about the incredible history of the game.

Currently I am doing the following chess activities: trying to get better through this site and learning more about every facet of play, enjoying casual play, and wondering if I should spend the $ to join USCF and actually do some tournaments. Also looking for some new friends to add!

I am from China.I learned how to play chess when I was a middle school student about 13 years old.

I’m terrible at chess too but enjoy playing and love a challenge. It’s not all about winning, it’s about having fun. 

It was around 1971 and I was 13. I truly don’t remember who taught me, or how I learned, strange isn’t it? Mid-west USA beginnings. Started again a short 2-3 years ago wanting to perhaps learn this oddly obsessive game. I should say that I never did learn then because I am now just learning again, for the very first time... I found Chess.com by just surfing for a way to get better and joined up. I’d like to report that I’m improving but the measuring stick doesn’t give me much credence I’m afraid. Still, I enjoy the game and some nights loathe how I make the same...darn...mistakes...over...and...over. The game draws be back. Each time. I play mostly against the computer and venture out rarely, but one thing I’ve appreciated  is opportunity to play fellow Chessians from around 60 different world nations and most have been good sports win or lose. I’ll get better with time hopefully, but if not, I hope to enjoy the game at least a tiny bit more than I loathe  how make the same...darn...mistakes...over...and...over

Thank you for this thread, reading the lives and stories has been good for my soul.

I like your attitude towards chess. I’d be happy to have a daily game sometime if you like?

 

Привет мудрецам

Hello everybody! For a research project, I’m studying how different chess players train. If you have an official rating above 1000, please take the linked form. Thank you! https://forms.gle/1BUEEiuJiiRZfwEr6 

I had hoped to play in the Southern Class later this month. It's been canceled. Many of you are experiencing hardship, and/or sickness. I am so sorry. 

my grandmothers friend taught me to play when I was a little kid an it was fun. When playing against strangers over the years my win rate was over 50%. It wasn't very popular in my friend circle so I guess I didn't really play it enough to dive in more then a few openings or a coordinated strike.

 

       I was born in Santa Tecla, El Salvador, Central America.

                                              December 14, 1937.

                            Migrated with family to the USA in 1946. 

                            I was raised in San Francisco, California.

                             I went To Lowell High, on Hayes Street.

                                    I  Became a USA citizen . . .

      Chess for me, began seventy years ago in 1951, when I was 13, on a boring foggy San Francisco summer day.  Six friends and I got several chess books at the library and learned to move the pieces.

      We used a red and black checker board and cheap plastic hollow pieces that always fell over all the time. They came in a forty game box. Only Bill my best friend took to playing chess regularly.

      I played in a playground tournament and won my matches easily because they barely knew how to move the pieces.

      In the semi-final games at the 19th avenue park, I lost badly.
    One day in the 1950's I watched Master George Koltanowski performed a blindfold 30 game presentation at the Fairmont Hotel in San  Francisco, California

     I was impressed when he performed the Knights tour.  I became a member of his Chess Friends Association and joined his chess club. We became friends.

      At that time I was a rookie at chess. I used to play in any tournament that Kolty would run and I would always win my round robin matches. They were groups of four and we played six games against each other three games as black and white.

     I got tired of winning and I would receive a book from Kolty as the first prize.

    One day I said, "Hey, Kolty you gave me this last tournament. Just let me play the others that won their matches so I know I can beat them also."
But he never let me! . . .

My first Over the board match was at San Quentin Prison . . . click on link . . .

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/fun-with-chess/my-time-at-san-quentin-prison-in-california-6352375