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

HorseGalore, why did you give up chess often?

I wonder how many chess players have episodes like that. I quit the game for many years because when I at one point joined a club I lost every game to even the weakest players. But it is really the only game I know that is intellectually challenging enough for me and so it stays interesting. Maybe there is checkers but I find that very boring.

I remember a somewhat cautionary tale which, although not about how I started to play, does I think allow for an airing.

I was a brick mason for many years and worked extensively in London. When on the larger sites I would take a set and board in to work in case there was a chance of a game at break times, often there was.

I was working on what was at that time the largest site in Europe at St Mary Abbots in Kensington, it was the middle of the winter and the middle of a very hard recession in the building trade 1989-90.

I worked on that site for 18 months and towards the end, the only ones left of the building crew was me, my labourer called George Watson, (Thanks to Ayo for the correction)  and the foreman. I played chess with the foreman (who wasn't very good) but could play. One game we had king and rook against king and bishop which I said was a draw with best play. George, who usually ignored the chess going on next to him glanced over and said, "I would win if I had the rook" I said something uncomplimentary about people who kibitz but don't play, Never for one minute thinking he could play chess at all. We commenced to go over the possible moves and sure enough, the bishop stops the king getting into the mating position.

I challenged George to play but he refused saying, that he had been a very strong player even being on the Scotland team for the 1953  Olympiad against Russia (this is all from memory but the gist is correct). Anyway, I eventually persuaded him to play regularly and sure enough, he beat me almost every time. He claimed to have never read a chess book but learnt to play by taking on the stronger players in his club in Edinburgh.

He lost games on time often enough (when, in his younger days he played in congresses) on a Saturday, (he went on to tell me) as he liked to bet on the horses and often used to duck out of the hall and find a betting shop, staying so long that he lost on time. 

I started playing chess in my early 20s after a serious motorcycle accident. I was hospitalized for three weeks in June-August 1980. This guy I knew would bring a chess board to the hospital and beat me with Scholar's Mate. So I got a few chess books, learned a few basics and started beating him regularly at chess. He no longer wanted to play, so I found the Fort Worth Chess Club. I've also been a part of the Arlington and Amarillo Chess Clubs. I neglected chess for awhile, but several years ago I joined Chess.com and began studying and playing regularly. A lot of family members have died of Alzheimer's, and I was looking for a way to exercise my brain as I approached age 60. (Yes, I'm older than dirt. I went to school in a Conestoga Wagon. We had to be careful because there were still a few dinosaurs left.) Chess is fun and fit the bill.

Chesspy1, you say "the only ones left of the building crew was me, my labourer called Jon Watson and the foreman" but then you talk about George. It got me confused.

I've had periods where I didn't play. While in NM it was a long drive to find anyone to play. The FICS server was available but it was not user friendly as today's sites. My connection had a lot of lag. 

Thank you, Ayo, 

I will correct that. John Watson is someone else entirely.

I actually  mean when players stop playing because they get bored or have a bad streak or something. Maybe another topic for a forumpost: "why did you stop playing chess?". The problem is that people who have stopped wont read this

I am from a medium sized town in Austria, where my grandfather taught me how to play chess when I was 6 years old. I never really had much formal training but always great love and fascination for the game. I never played tournaments when I was younger, just casual games. Recently I got more serious and played in some tournaments (had a performance rating of 1700 FIDE in my very first tournament, not too bad) and the London league here (as I currently work and live in London, UK).

Neat stories, thanks for sharing to everyone who shared!

more to my story per AyoV's inquiry.    After I graduated college and went to Grad School in Illinois, I went cold turkey from chess -- did not bring along any of my chess books, magazines, sets, as a way of "starting out fresh", of being just committed to just my studies.

Maintaining and improving at chess takes hours.    When in college, I dabbled in chess and socialized at the chess club and played in a non Rated Raritan Valley Chess League.    However I did not devote intense time to chess.

I really started losing interest in chess when the computer started getting very good......especially when Belle defeated my chess buddy George Kraus in the final round of the NJ Open to be the first computer to break 2200.

Started playing chess as a teenager, back in 1970 (when Fischer was still on his way up). I had some minor success in OTB tournaments... 1973 Atlantic Provinces Open champion, 1981 Atlantic Closed champion, several victories in local tournaments, a draw with Tal (Tal!) in a simul in 1988, etc.

Then I got involved in making TV cartoons, and pretty much stopped playing chess for 20 years or so. I've just recently started playing again... just in the past few years.

My Dad bought a carved wood chess set in Baggio, Philippines and brought it back to the states. The knight had very detailed carved hair, which was beautiful. My Mom let me beat her so that I would like to play. In about 1979, my Dad bought Chess Challenger by Fidelity Electronics, and that's when I took off. By trial and error with the computer, I ended up beating it at all its levels. We moved from Maryland to California, and I joined the high school chess club in 9th grade. That's how it started for me. 

Hello, I'm from California, USA.I learned the game right around 4 or 5 years old. Like most of the people on this thread, my dad always always always won. Me being a little kid, I quickly lost interest. I am now 15. A year ago, I saw an episode of the Simpsons were Homer was insanely good at chess. I thought, "hey thats pretty cool. Im gonna try that." So I played dozens of games with my dad again, starting right back where I started a decade ago. Then eventually, I beat him. Granted, he gave me a bunch of take back moves, But that win made me made me giddy. The game seduced me. I made my account on Chess.com on the advice of my brother (not this account, this one is new.). My chess interest in chess took a dump after BEGINNER chess players easily dispatched me. I quit for a month, but I got drawn back in. I motivated myself to buy my first chess books. Then, slowly but surely, I climbed my way up the ladder. On my other account, I climbed up from 400 to 1100. Yeah, I know that's a loser rating, but im proud. These days, I play my dad in blitz and classical. I crush him in blitz, with an average of 7 to 3 or 4. In classical, though, my dad is a even match for me due to my inability to think things through. On online games, I've focused my attention on improving in blitz in hopes to improve in other fields. I want to join a chess club in the near future. I've sort of stagnated at where I am, and going out to clubs should surely help improve my game.

Thanks for sharing   there's no loser's rating you like the game or not thats all

Hello! Welcome! This is "Flame Wars on Forums!" posting input, humor and jazz to spice this air wave out! Alright, now on one of the forums we are checking out how people began the chess careers and addictions! The most recent posted story starts of as any beginner, losing! But then takes a tragic downfall!, yes the most horrid of all ways to go has happened folks! yes it has! Oh, no it's hard to say, he. He, HE quit! But wait don't change the dial yet, where still family friendly, he returns to the chess scene renewed! He began to take interest!, yes folks he did!, however in the process creating an addiction and perhaps a degree of passion for the lovely sport. Then after buying chess books he starts to win and lose, but's the point of the game! The user starts to win against his long time rival as well! We all here at the studio hope that endeavor helps improve your game and that you continue to have fun! He hopes to improve folks, would any listeners listing to night want to call and say some advice? Alright, we all here at , wait we are getting a caller now!, we are putting you live NOW!  "Hello to all listen to night, for all who want to aspire in their dreams, as much as the user on that site wants, then don't give up when an inevitable obstacle appears, just don't go around either, go through it or over it or under it, go through it the hardest way possible so when the next one comes it will appear small." Wow! Thank you!, hope you got all that folks! We here at "Flame Wars on Forums!" hope everyone has a great rest of the night!

Hey! Dear reader check us out, us being, "Flame Wars on Forums!" with your host B.C.M (Broad Casting Maker) Hey we also have our very own website! https://www.chess.com/member/CHESSMASTERorCM

Something like 148 posts!!! I thought it would be great if it got 8. Thanks again everyone who contributed their stories. The other stuff just comes with the territory. 

Be sure to mention this post to your friends. I think there are a lot more stories to be told.

I will do so now!!!!

If you are seeing this post for the first time. I recommend you look back and read some of the stories here. I bet you will see some similarity to your own story. Now share your story for others to enjoy.