Why Chess stops being fun & how to get it back
Article by Victor Makori.
There was once a man who hated the noise kids made outside his house.
He tried shouting at them, scolding them — but they always came back.
So he tried something different. He told them:
“Whoever makes the loudest noise will get candy!”
Now they were excited. They came back every day, screaming louder than before.
He rewarded the top 5.
Then reduced it to 3.
Then 2… then 1…
Eventually, he gave them no candy at all.
The kids, expecting the reward, felt frustrated.
It wasn’t fun anymore.
Soon, they stopped coming.
And the compound was quiet again.
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This is what we do to our chess.
At first, we played for the joy.
Every tactic solved, every checkmate landed — it was fun.
But then came ratings, results, expectations.
We traded joy for pressure.
And suddenly, something we loved started feeling stressful.
But if we really want to grow, we have to go back.
Back to the noise.
Back to the fun without candy.
Play because you love the game.
Study because it excites you.
Let improvement be a bonus — not the only reason.
When you detach from the outcome, you unlock your best self.
Chess becomes art again.
About the author
Victor Makori is a chess coach from Kenya and a psychology student at the University of Embu with a passion for helping others understand and enjoy the game. Though not FIDE-rated yet, he plays actively online with a 2000+ rapid rating on chess.com. He is known for his ability to break down complex ideas into simple, relatable lessons — blending mindset, motivation, and real chess growth.
His goal is to make chess less intimidating and more meaningful for players at all levels.