I was 17 years old when I went to The Central YMCA Chess club, Toronto Ontario 1973. I still remember walking down the long hallway and feeling excited hearing the chess clocks being hit and the pieces whacking down on the board. You could see cigarette smoke wafting out of the open door. There was a real "atmosphere" in that place.
I was taught chess by my wife at the tender age of 21 , we had just married and moved into our first house we had a bed, sofa & a cooker no tv , so one night she drew a chessboard on some paper and made the pieces out of lego( she had been taught chess in 5th year by her maths teacher that reallised she could not grasp algebra so rather than waste her time he taught her chess)
-Removed-It is great being in a chess club if you want to learn the game better. I first went in 1993 and that first night never won a game against anyone. I learned all I knew was how each piece moved not how to actually played the game. I found it to be quite a learning experience and once had my rating up to 1669 of couse we are talking back some years ago now. My chess has taken a drop over the years. I just enjoy having fun with the game now, playing it.
-VR
