Im 28 is there any point in me taking up chess seriously? would it be a waste of time?

Im 28 years old and have played chess on and off throughout my life ive never competed in tournaments but eventually want to get to the point where i can become a titled player i have just recently started to take chess seriously since november 2020 so been playing seriously for a few months now ive seen a gradual climb in my rating starting at 800 and now can sit quite easily at 1050 but if i really put in the effort can reach 1200. i currently spend 5 hrs a day studying and playing chess down at the local library, i read chess books and watch youtube videos also in my spare time (currently all my spare time i have i dedicate to chess). What i really want to know is if all this study and stuff has just been a waste of time am i too old to eventually get an IM title or eventually a few years down the track a GM title (i know going for a GM title will take decades) but I am willing to put in the time if it is possible if not should i quit now and find another hobby. thanks heaps please serous replies any information will help

It's only a waste of time if your only goal is to get the title. If you like chess in it of itself, then any time spent is not time wasted. By virtue of you asking the question, I assume you know the odds are not in your favor. But that doesn't mean it's impossible. Either way, I wish you luck!

I recommend this video Stuck At Chess? Click here. - YouTube

Oscar Shapiro gained the USCF Master title at age 74.

Maybe you should focus on different areas of chess. I see from your losses: 1) your defense is poor; check your opponent's every move to see if they are attacking anything. Sometimes they're attacking two; save the more important one.

2) You fall for combos, only reacting to the first move and failing to see its purpose; if something attacks you, don't auto think "great, free piece." Maybe what you're using to capture was guarding what they really wanted and is now defenseless.

3) You need to study strategy. Most of the time your pieces just wander around without purpose.

Right now, probably spend more on daily games than rapid. Take as much time to find the "best" move.

If you only want to play chess for an IM or GM title then maybe you should find a different hobby. But if you enjoy chess and want to get as good as you can, do it. Enjoy the ride. You are still really young and a lot of people have improved tons at older ages when brand new to the game.

I was rated under 2100 at 57 years old. I'm now 64...

if u mean by seriously being making a living off it, yes u are way too late. 

There's only 2 ways ur making a living off chess: 

1. Start playing chess from your toddler years and be naturally gifted in chess enough to become a gm by the age of 16, and then become one of the best players in the world, get sponsers, big money matches, championship matches etc.

2. Become a really successful online entertainer, like a twitch streamer etc.

The chance of the 2nd one happening at this point for u are astronomically low, and ur too late for the 2nd one. So in short, no.

GM doesn't actually take decades. People who get it usually get it in less than 10 years... and people who study for more than 10 years have usually stopped improving by then.

Yeah, you're too old for IM or GM, but almost no one plays chess to get one of those titles... including IMs and GMs. People play because it's a fun game, and because it's satisfying to improve.

If your only goal is to achieve an IM title or higher, then yes, you're probably wasting your time.  Play the game because you enjoy it, because you enjoy getting better and achieving something.  Maybe some day you'll actually be good enough to get to that level!  But realistically, the vast majority of people who pick up chess never will be.  Just set your sights on something small and attainable; work on getting your rating up to 1500.  And then from there, set your sights a little bit higher, and a little bit higher.  Maybe you'll one day receive a title, but even if you don't, getting up to a rating of 1500 is something most chess players won't ever do, and is definitely something to be proud of.

I play chess to crush my enemies, see them driven before me, and hear the lamentations of their women.

It's a hobby.

Yeah, but he was a strong IM at 16 or something, so...

tfw you really want to correct someone, but you know they're too dumb to understand what you mean and why it's right and will try to argue back, and you don't want to waste your time getting into another stupid argument online. 

Giri is in his 20s, 2700 FIDE, and wins no tournaments, but I guess as a beginner 36 year old you were just a lot better

I'm not trying to argue but I'm legitimately curious - is there actually something medically wrong with you mentally? Whether in reasoning or psychologically.