This Website Sucks For Beginners

Since this topic comes up often, and no one has ever mentioned it, I think you might not be remembering correctly.

For example Kauffman became a GM late in life by winning the world senior championship. He probably got some Chess Life attention... but of course he was an IM since forever. I've never heard of someone starting at 40 get a title, much less GM.

I'll try to find the article, but another example is Yoshiharu Habu who switched from Shogi to chess and scored 2 IM norms quickly.  Some will say, "but he was a Shogi champion", and that can be a fair point, but the games are not the same.

with not much knowledge about shogi i think shogi is way more complex than chess. so if somebody mastered shogi you need way less work to do to reach a certain strength in chess. but woul dbe cool if somebody who actually plays shogi and chess responds to that

Sure, Kasparov, when he was world champ, put up a fight against some semi-pro Shogi player who estimated Kasparov the equivalent of 2300 in Shogi or something.

I played some Xiangqi, and the 2nd game I ever played in my life (continually having to ask which piece is which since I can't read Chinese) I played some "well known" attacking idea, my opponent asked how I could have known (it's just obvious after playing chess).

Of course you're right that the games aren't the same, but such a person is not a real beginner.

He is not the one I am looking for, but Ye JiangChuan is another example of a complete beginner becoming a GM.  He learned the game at 17 and became a GM by 30.

Ah yeah, that's one guy I was looking for earlier. It says this on his Wiki page with no source so... IMO pretty easy to ignore. If you're going to claim something exceptionally rare you need to back it up.

Understandable.  It is going to take me a while to find the article I was referring to, but a similar one can be found here:. https://en.chessbase.com/post/start-chess-in-your-late-teens-and-become-a-grandmaster

Just like the de la Maza story, it both shows how it is possible and why it happens so rarely.

Looks like he was never an GM though

https://ratings.fide.com/profile/5007038

Again,  you contradict yourself.  You say anyone can learn anything "except if they have mental deficiencies".   My friend,  humans are not carbon copy robots,  we all have different levels of abilities we are born with.  You don't need severe mental illnesses to be limited at a certain rating.   Again,  it is ridiculous to tell someone they are not trying hard enough if they are not 2000 rated on chess.com when most people playing since 2 years old and with coaches are lucky to get that level.

The average is 800  because that is the average.   For example my rapid 872 rating is the equivalent of 1452 on lichess where 1500 is the induced average there.   So one can conclude my play here on chess.com in rapid is the same and is roughly the average. Assuming the playerbase is generally similar, which it is.    But I'm glad you realize how foolish it is of chess.com to allow people to choose their own starting rating skewing,  more importantly then the ratings,   the matchups for the average player until they are properly rated or stop playing on their smurfed account.

And I know kids who got there by doing nothing.  I think it was Eric Hansen on this very website who said he never even picked up a book until he was already a GM.    I got inspired to play chess after watching coffee chess,  and HIkaru,  and then seeing little Russian kids playing and I thought oh I could play too.  Little did I know some of them are prodigies and others started literally at 2 years old.  

People like you trying to tell others they have mental deficiencies or they are lazy   for only being at the average rating,  is despicable imo.  People should be playing to have fun and progress at their own pace. Having competitive matches at any level thanks to websites like this.  Is what its all about.   The ratings are simply to ensure fair matchups.

Correct, though he has 2 norms if I am not mistaken.  He was not the one I was originally referring to, but I am having a hard time finding that article (I know it was a while back, but that is a lot of Chess Life magazines to sort through).  However, even reaching 2400+ when starting as someone who is almost 18 is impressive and shows that it can be done.  As I said, how he did it shows why it is not done more often.  How many adults can basically lock themselves away for a few years to make a few hundred point rating jumps?  How many would want to?

I know a kid who started playing at age 11.  His first provisional rating was about 800.  5 years later he is only a few points shy of earning his NM title (and when I say "few", I mean less than 20 points).  He is home schooled and literally spent every waking moment not doing schoolwork playing chess (and for the last year or so had been getting lessons from a strong GM).  Most adults simply do not have the time to do that.  Every once in a while, you will see one pop up, but it is not common.

Why would you believe that?  I have heard many players say the same.    Do you think all the players on this website who got over 2000 read books?  Most have just done puzzles.  

If you actually read these books,  the books themselves will tell you not to bother until 2000 FIDE rating.  yep.  Silman even says 2400 lmao.   Books imo,  are good for the person who is brand new to chess and needs to learn the basic principles,  and those who are master level.  For the average player they are nothing more then entertainment.

Eric Hansen and most of the pros we know,  got to a high level mostly due to their natural ability.  People should have practical expectations before they burn out and frustrate themselves out of the game.

Even some champion GM's  like Levon Aronian,  or Capablanca, are not that studious they are naturals.  In fact Levon Aronian looks up to Vishy Anand because Vishy is the opposite,  he is an encylopedia of chess knowledge compared to him.

Idk  but I'm 27, I've been playing in person for a handful of years casually here and there. Only started playing online here recently and I feel like I'm not really getting any better than 500.