I learned the rules of chess as a child, but didn't have any interest in the game until the summer of '72. That's when the Fischer-Spassky match took place and the whole world followed it closely. I quickly became fascinated with the game, started reading chess books, and joined a local chess club. I've been playing in USCF rated events for close to forty years. My OTB rating tends to fluctuate in a range between 1750 and 1850, although I did crack 1900 once about 25 years ago. [edit -- after a recent good stretch, my USCF rating peaked at an all time high of 1932.]