I don't know how good you were, or how quickly it comes back, but I like to say that chess isn't hard because good moves are hard to find. If a GM or engine tells you a move is good, 9 times out of 10 it will look good to you. What makes chess hard is bad moves look good too. During a game an inexperienced player may like 6 moves and 5 of them are bad... not very good odds of picking the good one, certainly not multiple moves in a row.
So sure, a commentator may say putting a rook on an open file is good, or shifting pieces towards the king is preparing an attack, and that makes sense. But in your games you might take the open file when it doesn't matter, or try to attack when it's not justified.
There are lots of discussions about computers in chess, I would be interested to know if anyone can point me toward, or discuss theories about the human brain in chess.
I've been back seriously trying to improve my chess for 2 years now. 30 years ago (such a time did exist, and it was not black and white.) Kasparov played Nigel Short for the world chess championship, and as a teenager I found I could spot the moves and follow the reasoning of the commentators (Jon Speelman and John Nunn? Possibly Stuart Conquest?); then during my late schooling and university years I could beat just about anyone. Then I gave up chess for 20 years, and when I returned in 2020 I was MASSIVELY frustrated that I could not just beat everyone. I didn't think I'd be GM, but I guess I thought I could be 1800 purely on instinct - you are entitled to hurt me for that thought!
So today watching the Generation Cup was the first time I actually found myself following the moves, and accurately seeing some of the move suggested by the commentators as the games were happening, since 30 years ago.
Is it possible to reform old patterns in the mind? I am currently going through Nimzowitsch's 'My System', is it possible that book has just struck a chord with me? I found Capablanca's Chess Fundamentals pretty good for winning endgames, how to get them - and what you should do to avoid getting the wrong side of them.
tldr: maybe natural talent, am I getting it back, or is the work paying off?