My father taught me chess around age 10. I played with my friends in school, and I became a competent player, but never much more than that.
One of my college buddies taught me to play go when I was around 20, and I found it more interesting and more fun. One of the things I (and many players) appreciate is the handicap system. A casual player can sit across from a professional, and with the proper handicap both can have about the same chance of winning.
It's hard to handicap chess. If you toss one of the pieces away, you're making a considerable change in the game. That doesn't happen in go.
I've got nothing against chess, and I still get a game occasionally, but I like go a lot more.