Chess for Oldtimers --- Good Idea !

Hey! How about showing some sensitivity....we are not "geezers", we are "geriatrically challenged."

We aren't geezers but those fellows in the comic strip are...

Did you prefer I edit my post and make it say something you enjoy...

As the old saying goes, "figures don't lie but liars surely can figure!"

You must have seen some politician's tax return!

Thanks Everyone for all of the posts. As for the " geezer " problem I'm reminded of a expression that I first heard many years ago when I was around people involved in Agriculture. The term can be applied to horses or to people: he is kind of " long in the tooth " lol. 

Well I'm a person who enjoys a good chuckle. So I'm reading thru one of the forums and someone has a thead going about people who play Live Chess and who have more than one game going at one time. That brought a couple of chuckles right off. Here I am playing along one game at a time ( and at a fairly slow setting of 15 & 10 ) trying to keep up on my single game and these speedsters are playing muliple games, good grief Charlie Brown ! rofl etc.   

lol...yeah, I'll second that.

Do you mind? We'd like to keep this thread limited to ranchers...

I'm 70. I haven't played a live game since the late 70s (last USCF rating 1480). I don't ever intend to resume doing so, since I don't have the time to be online that long, and it would be impolite and inconsiderate for me to begin a game that I couldn't finish.  I find the chess mentor and tactics training good exercise for the brain. 

Chess is good at any age.

Thanks for all of the recent posts. My feeling is that we should look upon this thread as working like a Democracy and let anyone post here ( within all of the Chess.com site rules of course ). As for Rural or Urban folks I can't really play favourites there as during different times in my life I have lived in both locations. One theory out there is that it takes all kinds to make up the colourful mosaic that is life on this little planet  lol.

Sorry cabadenwurt, that was an inside joke for AndyClifton....

Oh okay, Thanks for letting me know what was happening  lol.

That's just the sort of theory ranchers traditionally hide behind (as part of their conspiracy for global domination).

Okay, fine. Let's be inclusive and build a skyscraper...who's next?

I find myself in the minority on the use it or lose it theory with regard to mental functioning.  Time spent in Intellectual activities may well be correlated with higher scores on mental functioning tests as we age---but correlation doesn't mean causation.  Smart people (like most of us) enjoy certain mental challenges, so they/we Choose to spend time on those things.  Enjoyable activities protect against depression, and depression Does slow mental functioning. Physical exercise Does reduce depression and get more blood into the brain---but crossword puzzles?---I'm not so sure---especially if you Don't Like crosswaord puzzles!

So do what you Like doing and don't expect time spent on tax preparation to make you a better chess player or vice versa---that's my motto!   Or it used to be....it does sound familiar, but........well, I'm 68, so I forget .........things......

Thanks for the recent posts everyone. Last I heard the insects were ready to assume control of this planet as soon as we Humans manage to kill ourselves off, I'm not sure tho about what type of government they have in mind ( oh and I think that I hear somebody out there snorting and giggling right now ).

On the Brain question a thought came to me ( Hmmmmm --- a brain with a thought, odd that ). Before I retired my job used to cause some stress and I found that a vigorous fitness plan was good for my mental state. I retired some years ago due to downsizing and now I have the same fitness level as Santa Claus tho my beard is shorter than his. A lot of stress was removed from my life and I became lazy, yes I guess often one thing does affect another and it certainly seems to do so with brain functions.  

Just been reading thru a back issue of Chess Life ( Jan 2011 ) and I came across a 6 page feature article on the late Vasily Smyslov. One very interesting fact that I learned in this article is that prior to starting his journey to become World Chess Champ he was a very highly regarded singer and in 1950 was in a group of singers competing at the Bolshoi Theater. He was squeezed out of competion by the narrowest of margins and his loss there was quite lucky for the Chess World. Smyslov passed way in 2010 at age 89 and had written several books the last one I believe in 1995 or 1996 ( at age 74 ). I gather that there is a clip of him singing that can be played on youtube and to be talented in two areas is very lucky to be sure.  

Smyslov had on more than a few occasions sang accompanied by Mark Taimanov's piano.  They also played quite a few games together - music over the board and off the board.