Why you don't deserve to be a Master
My chess career as an adult has been sporadic.
These last few months are the perfect example as I've ignored my studies and played a handful of fast games on Chess.com or with under-matched neighbors.
So many people idolize and yearn for the title of 'grandmaster' but so few actually get there.
What is the difference between the dreamers and the accomplished? Here are key differences.
*I am not a master of chess by any stretch. This is merely an observation and should be treated as such.
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As a child I loved telling people tournament chess was a hobby of mine, because the response was usually along the lines of 'oh, you must be really smart' or 'I wish I was smart enough to play chess'. Though it was a confidence boost for my adolescent self, these statements are false and misleading. There is no direct correlation between IQ and chess mastery. I drastically improved at chess because losing to my father drove me to the library where I ordered chess books and learned more about the game. Though some pick up the game faster, the equalizer is not in the intelligence of the being but the time and consistency devoted to mastery.
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"There are no instant experts in chess- certainly no instant masters or grandmasters. There appears not to be on record any case (including Bobby Fischer) where a person reached grandmaster level with less than about a decade's intense preoccupation with the game. We would estimate, very roughly, that a master has spent perhaps 10,000 to 50,000 hours staring at chess positions..."
-Herbert Simon/William Chase American Scientist
Languages can be forgotten, instruments can be unlearned, and talents can vanish if not sharpened. One could easily argue that for masters chess is more or a lifestyle then a mere game. For most of us this game is a hobby, pastime, and way to exercise our mind. You want to truly master this? Locking yourself in an office with some relevant classics and a chess board for 10 years is a great start.
Below is a game I just recently played to shake off a few months worth of rust. It's terrible. Reviewing it is a sobering reflection that the things that blossom in our lives are the things we give attention to.
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"Work, work, work-there is no satisfactory substitute..." -Ezra Taft Benson
Correlating chess mastery with intelligence borders disrespect to the efforts of those who have done it. Excellence was achieved by countless hours of analyzing, studying, and playing-not 'intelligence' alone.
My hope is that if we truly wish to master the game, we are willing to sacrifice the distractions
