Why do YOU play chess?
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Apr 4, 2017
0
#23
I haven't played chess in years but I remember why I took it up: someone told me it improved thinking skills and I thought this would lead to better performance in the workforce and other areas of life. It did improve my memory and I seemed to be able to think of more options at once when facing a problem. 
Apr 4, 2017
0
#24
I do it for enjoyment, a challenge, and to keep my 66 year-old brain sharp.
Because school forced me and now I'm stuck with it.
Apr 4, 2017
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#26
ESP-918 wrote:
True I would say majority not everyone, as my intentions to be a CM
Also a quite unrealistic goal in most cases I guess. What is your FIDE rating at the moment ?
Improve my mind
Develop
And
Sharper
Smarter
Develop
And
Sharper
Smarter
Pikelemi wrote:
ESP-918 wrote:
True I would say majority not everyone, as my intentions to be a CM
Also a quite unrealistic goal in most cases I guess. What is your FIDE rating at the moment ?
Unrealistic for you maybe, but not to everyone else. Keep your opinion to yourself
For the fame, the women, and the money.
Apr 4, 2017
0
#30
ESP-918 wrote:
Pikelemi wrote:
ESP-918 wrote:
True I would say majority not everyone, as my intentions to be a CM
Also a quite unrealistic goal in most cases I guess. What is your FIDE rating at the moment ?
Unrealistic for you maybe, but not to everyone else. Keep your opinion to yourself
Apr 4, 2017
0
#31
I play because I find chess a wonderful release from the pressures of life. The ultimate distraction.
And it's a beautiful, elegant game.
Apr 4, 2017
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#32
Aberidus wrote:
I play because I find chess a wonderful release from the pressures of life. The ultimate distraction.
And it's a beautiful, elegant game.
+1
Apr 4, 2017
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#33
My grandfather always played. He passed away when I was 5 so chess is a huge part of my memory of him. Recently I've gotten the itch to play in his memory as well as play with my dad to get closer to him.
Apr 4, 2017
0
#34
StupidGM wrote:
Yorrdamma wrote:
I have a love-hate relationship with chess. I love to play it; I hate being a grandpatzer. Still it is a good exercise for my ageing brain and I find the games often quite entertaining. My goal is to try not to look like a moron in my games. I wish I had the eidetic memory and the ability to visualize a chessboard in my head but nature did not bless me with these, and I think they are essential to being a master or grandmaster. But, I play on, and usually enjoy it.
The ability to play blindfolded did not come naturally to me. I used to marvel at the idea until one day I literally just woke up able to do it. The trick is to be able to "see" the board in your brain and to move pieces along that board much as you would in realtime. I can't even really explain why this happened when it did, but I attributed it to years of training many hours a day. One day I was reading game scores and was just suddenly able to analyze them without a board, even 10-20 moves in.
I relied on "natural talent" for my first dozen or so years of recreational play, and got maybe to 1400 strength. Aft er a summer in Washington Square Park I was closer to 1700 strength, and a few years later, with six months of hardcore training, my first established rating was 1810. Within two years after that, it hit 2000 on the nose, then I didn't try to raise it after that, trained for a bit, quit the game for 25 years, and recently came back. Been studying about as often as Fischer did for the past two years.
It's amazing how much "natural talent" I never realized I had for the game. Now my "board vision" just hit the point where this morning I swiped a ROOK from a GM with a seven-move combination that ended with a Bishop skewer check. To me, it's like practicing a musical instrument: you don't get better immediately, and you'll often see your rating tumble temporarily while you master new, more advanced concepts, but then "music" starts coming out. Without a proper foundation in theory, one stalls just as in music. What most blame on age is actually the result of what Silman called "perfecting one's mediocrity."
I don't really like chess, but I like that I can win at it.
I can never tell if you're being serious when I read your posts, StupidGM
obviously, i revel in masochism and frustration
the "Voices" in my head told me so😁
(and it does "kill" time when you are in prison)
Do you have a goal? ANSWER: in chess, just fun.
Do you want to be a professional? Making living out of it? Just enjoying it? Something else?
ANSWER : Not as a chess player.
But I want to make lots of money with my wonderful company. Soon it is going public with an IPO in Nasdaq:
So why do you play chess? ANSWER: because it is a funny game.
I would like to inquire and/or aspire to become a member of patters chess, inc. my trademark is "I will play e5 just because I can- the Ross gambit is in openings explorer for a reason..."
Ffs- patters- spell check- see I'm a terrific candidate
Pikelemi wrote:
Chess must be the only sport/activity where almost everybody starts out with the intention to be a high rated GM in a couple of years. Do they ever look at the ratio of GM (1541 at the moment) compared to the number of 'normal' chess players (e.g 17.000.000+ on chess.com) ?
True I would say majority not everyone, as my intentions to be a CM