My father taught me to play chess when I was very young. I was in the chess club in middle school, I also used to play a lot with my friends, and I've played with a few other people. I don't remember winning more than a handful of games, though.

Last week I decided to start playing again (after a 5 or 6 year hiatus), and I haven't noticed much of a learning curve, if you know what I mean. I love the game, but I think I have to face reality... I just suck at it, there's something about my brain that doesn't allow me to catch everything. I tend to blunder my way through games, and find that I am reacting defensively early on.

Can anyone relate?

I think the worst part of my chess games is my knee jerk reaction to moves. I'm so impulsive that I just can't seem to figure anything out.

... I might try playing chess again on meds!

If I can't focus my attention on it I tend to make moves that would make anyone who knows how to play the game laugh at me.

If I can focus on it I will take 10 or more minutes between moves and beat you every time.

I haven't figured out what decides whether I can focus on it or not

Checkers or bust!

YIKES no. I can't play anything where you have to "think ahead" too much. (however I'm very good at games such as cribbage).

- this is hilarious: the only person I could play chess with was my dad (I think he got interested in it one year when I got some kind of chess & checker set for christmas, I must have been 7 or 8); well I'm 95% sure he had ADD. - we both played totally impulsively and with no strategy beyond 2 moves! lol.

I sometimes try to play chess with some of the kids I work with and they beat me. I can make a strategy but I can't seem to think ahead of what the oppenent might do? So I will fx move my queen so that a pawn will take it in the third move. I am really good at battlefield on xbox though.

Yes it is a tough game for me...I've only played it a few times recently.

It was against my brother and he had strategies all sorted out for each percific move I made.....he has spent alot of time away from home playing the game.

I enjoyed it,but more of the horses and knights,queens and kings of it all,that I found enjoyable....and trying to figure out if I was actually pawn or was it all just make believe....;)

Yes here, my friends will never play any board game with me because I take too long to decide and process my thoughts.

My DS16 used to play competitive chess when he was in the 5th and 6th grade. He was very good and placed 5th one year in the state championship tournament.

He quit shortly afterwards though. It seemed very important for him to mark his moves on a chart and he refused.... which made it easier for the opponent to cheat. He wasn't diagnosed with ADHD at the time but I couldn't figure out why, such a simple notation, was difficult for him.

I think it was easier for him to think ahead but couldn't recall what he did... which was also important if you weren't going to notate your moves.