BEING A YOUNG CHESS PLAYER IN 2025
# Being a Young Chess Player in 2025
*by CGM (13 y.o. chess player)*
In 2025, chess is bigger, faster, and more exciting than ever — especially for young players like me.
I’m 13 years old, and chess is a huge part of my life. Through this blog, I want to share what it’s really like to be a young chess player today: the ups, the downs, the lessons — and why I love this game no matter what.
## The Chess World in 2025
Chess has changed so much in just the past few years.
Now, everything happens online — Chess.com, Lichess, streamers, YouTube coaches. You can learn from GMs on Twitch or watch Magnus Carlsen play a bullet match live.
Engines are stronger than ever. Stockfish 16, Lc0, and new AI tools can show ideas that humans never thought of before. It’s both amazing and overwhelming — because it means we always have more to learn.
More and more young players are getting strong super fast. You see 8 or 9-year-olds with 2200+ ratings online. The tools and opportunities are there — but so is the pressure to keep up.
## My Personal Chess Journey
I started playing chess a 5-6 months ago and immediately got hooked. The beauty of the game — the strategy, the traps, the thrill of winning a long battle — keeps me coming back.
Right now, I’m on a comeback journey. Recently, I lost my old Chess.com account due to a ban and had to start over. My new rating dropped after a couple of painful games — but I’m fighting back.
My daily training looks like this:
- Morning: Visualization drills and middlegame study from *How to Reassess Your Chess*
- Evening: A tough puzzle routine — 20 easy, 10 medium, and 5 very hard puzzles
- Before games: More puzzles and warmup tactics
- I rarely study endgames now because I’ve done 350+ pages from Silman’s Endgame Course already.
I’ve taken breaks — like a 5-day one recently — and sometimes I struggle with tilt or bad losses. But each time, I remind myself: it’s a journey, not a race.
## Opportunities & Challenges
### Opportunities:
- So many free resources: YouTube, Twitch, Chessable, blogs
- Easy to find training partners or join online clubs
- Play anyone in the world, anytime
- Engines to analyze your games deeply
### Challenges:
- So much competition — it feels like everyone is getting stronger so fast
- Hard to stay focused sometimes with so many distractions
- Dealing with cheaters online (yes, it still happens)
- Staying motivated after losing streaks or bans
## Looking Ahead
My goal this year: stabilize my rating on my new account and push back to 1700+, then beyond.
I also want to improve my middlegame understanding — not just tactics, but plans, ideas, positional play.
For other young players out there: don’t give up easily. I see so many people resigning too early. Even if you lose your queen, keep fighting — you’ll learn more from those games than from easy wins.
## Final Thoughts
Being a young chess player in 2025 is exciting, challenging, and sometimes frustrating. But most of all — it’s fun. The chess world is wide open, and there’s always more to discover.
If you’re also on your own chess journey — whether just starting or aiming for 2000+ — I’d love to hear your story. Let’s keep learning, improving, and loving this beautiful game.