I used to love playing chess. I started as a wood-pusher playing against my dad who taught me to play. In university first year I began playing at "international house" with some of the country's best. They were patient and taught me a lot and I studied on my own. Playing the best and a drive to beat them made me much much better.
One day I may write a book on the similarities of playing above master level chess and trading. There are many comparisons.
One of the saddest days in my life was in first year university when I was playing my dad who tried over and over (at least 20 games) to beat me like he often used to do (to cut me down a peg).
I knew he would never beat me again (barring a blunder on my part) since I could now judge relative strength and I thought at a much deeper positional level now. Very very sad and I still feel a bit guilty that I should have let him win a game. Pride is a bad thing.