???how did you get introuced to chess???

Hello fellow posters:

I would like to hear how you were introduced to chess. I'm sure there are some great stories.

My Cousin intorduced me to the game when we were around 10 or 11 years old. My aunt purchased him a set and he needed someone to play so he taught me how to how the pieces moved. From there we played many a game; not knowing any tatics. We only knew we had to get the king in check or check mate.

I played on and off for years! More off than on. But got serious about it when I introduced my son (now 23) to the game. He was nine at the time I showed him how the game is played. I became a memeber of USCF and played CC (snail mail) games.

I can't wait to hear you stories.

Originally posted by chesstora
Hello fellow posters:

I would like to hear how you were introduced to chess. I'm sure there are some great stories.

My Cousin intorduced me to the game when we were around 10 or 11 years old. My aunt purchased him a set and he needed someone to play so he taught me how to how the pieces moved. From there we played many a game; not knowing any tati ...[text shortened]... ame a memeber of USCF and played CC (snail mail) games.

I can't wait to hear you stories.

I was 8 when first introduced to chess by an older cousin, 10 yo. They moved away and that was that for ten years till I started college at Palomar College in San Marcos, California. The kids there were of course a lot better and they thrilled when they beat a fish such as me.

I remember not believing rooks were stronger than bishops so I stuck them out to trade for bishops and boy did I find out I was wrong about that one🙂 So after two years I was kind of forced to join the air force, and on the way there, a train ride from Hemet Calif to San Antone, a kid brings out a chess set and asks if I want to play.

So I say sure. He goes, "I only play for money"! Well you can maybe see how my confidence level fell about ten notches🙂 By this time, the other kids on the train were listening, bored, finding something to do, I said, ok, how bout a game for a buck? He goes 'I never play for less than 5'. Gulp.

I got him down to 2 bucks for a game, referees took the 4 bucks and we start playing. In retrospect, I can't understand why he would have started that schtick. Mind you, I had been playing only for a few months at that point and only games at the local student union at Palomar.

So the bottom line is I cut through him like a knife through butter, it didn't look like he knew a darn thing about chess. Every attack worked like a charm. So after checkmate, I collected the 4 bucks, asked him if I wanted to play again, he turns red, turns around and disappears🙂

So a few weeks later, at Lackland AFB, air force boot camp in Texas, I was in the USO club, the same guy walks in as I was walking out. I said hi, want to play some chess? He again turns red as a beet, did a 180 and hightailed it out of there! Never saw him again.

For me , i was introuced to chess at school by my mathematic' teacher when i have 13-14 year. I continue to play with a book writed by Van Setter (belgium master) discribing each opening,how to attack or defend a position,how to play the endgames etc.. .I stop play few years but when I buy my first computer and the chessmaster program,Iplay again.And now,with internet,it's very interesting to play against player or talks like in forum.

(sorry for my english if is not very good)

Dad when I was about 10.

I asked for and was given a proper chess set & board for Christams 1963.
Still have it, still use it.

The centre squares and f1/f8 - g1/g8, where I have slid the King castling
have faded on the board. (also f7 is looking a bit worn). 😉

When I used to beef up for a tournament I studied on the same board
and pieces I'd be using in the tournament.

Learn to fight with the same weapons you will be fighting with.

Some will laugh at this, but I use to believe it and that is all
that matters.

I doubt if anyone will top IM Andy Muir's introduction to chess that he
gave in Rampant Chess when I asked the GM's and IM's the same question.

Someone else who has the book can post it - it's incredible and true.

My sister taught me as she enjoyed showing her superior intellect. She still has superior intellect but at least I win at chess!

In good company there - Fischer was taught by his sister.

5 years ago saw the kasparov vs machine documentary, began wondering what was all that fuss with the pawn sac, went to google up basic rules, how pieces move and got hooked. a week later I was doing tactics day in day out, and 3 months later joined rhp.

I was young, not sure exactly what age, and received a magnetic chess set as a gift.
It came with instructions explaining how the pieces moved and the object of the game.
My brother and I looked over the rules and after interpreting them as best we could
we started playing chess. Or at least a game that resembled chess. For one there was
none of this silly "check" stuff. If you left your king en prise it was taken next turn.
Game over.

Originally posted by greenpawn34
Dad when I was about 10.

I asked for and was given a proper chess set & board for Christams 1963.
Still have it, still use it.

The centre squares and f1/f8 - g1/g8, where I have slid the King castling
have faded on the board. (also f7 is looking a bit worn). 😉

When I used to beef up for a tournament I studied on the same board
and piece ...[text shortened]... the same question.

Someone else who has the book can post it - it's incredible and true.

Was your father a strong player? Did he help with tactics and such?

A co-worker challenged me. Not sure how he had heard of RHP, but he knew about it, and sent an email. I beat him 3 or 4 times straight, barely knowing the rules or which piece was my queen vs my queen. I picked up a couple open challenges as a non-sub, but six games weren't enough. Joined up, and just moved pieces around the board for a few months, but I was hooked. Started actually trying to improve about a year and a half ago, and it's a daily thing now...

My dad had a travel chess board with little tiny pieces, and I "borrowed" it. Someone gave me a book to learn from, it was in story form - "her majesty sallies forth" and such. I remember only that the first game (in descriptive notation) was Legal's mate. The idea that you could give up the strongest piece and win the game was the entry level drug. '100 greatest Chess Games' was my morning ritual before work at the seafood restaurant for 10 years. The ongoing chess game with the other kitchen guys (winner stays on the board) is still going at that place now 20 years later, with the same crappy roll up board, though I think a couple of the pawns are from a different set, and if more than 2 queens show up you will see a salt shaker on the board.

6 years old. I asked dad to teach me, which he did.

I guess that I was about six or so when my grandpa taught me how to play. It only took a few years for me to trade games with him. I now beat him almost every game OTB. My mom was my next challenge, took me another little while to get to where I could beat her regularly. My uncle held out for many years, but once I read a book on chess tactics for kids, I was able to see farther and win regularly. I have now met several groups of chess players at various schools, some worse than me and a large number that will destroy me regularly. I still consider chess to be a fun hobby, but it is not something that I have seriously studied yet.

My best friend taught me at a very young age - maybe grade one or two. He had a brother about 4 years older, who taught him. He beat me several times in a row, and then I mated him with a rook on his weak back rank. He didn't believe it was a checkmate and became quite cross.

We're still good friends 30 years later. He plays here and I would guess we are about even in the games we've played against each other.

Originally posted by chesstora
Hello fellow posters:

I would like to hear how you were introduced to chess. I'm sure there are some great stories.

My Cousin intorduced me to the game when we were around 10 or 11 years old. My aunt purchased him a set and he needed someone to play so he taught me how to how the pieces moved. From there we played many a game; not knowing any tati ...[text shortened]... ame a memeber of USCF and played CC (snail mail) games.

I can't wait to hear you stories.

I was hit by a car while on my first bike, an early Xmas gift, at 9 years old, and was prone for 8 weeks with casts on both legs, in kind of an A-frame, unable to move, then on crutches for the rest of the year, so had lots of time. My 14-year older brother, one of the first programmers EVER, taught me patiently, saying again and again there's a better move, and my best friend Roger, now dead, played many games with me, losing all the time. My other brother, 12 years older than me, was less charitable, beating me regularly until finally I won, 25 years ago, and we haven't played since. We were both a bit high at the time if you know what that means. So out of sympathy all of you should resign your games with me immediately if not sooner.:'(