Achieving the NM title

I am 14 years old with a USCF rating of 1570. My goal is to achieve the NM title, which can be achieved by attaining a 2200+ USCF rating. My question is, how much time do I need to put into chess every day to reach my goal, and how long will it take for me to get there? Any help is greatly appreciated!

You are already a good player without knowing your background 1570 if a fine rating!

1. Do you have access to a chess club, near by, that the parents don't mind driving you to; say within 30 minutes? Search the web or use LOCAL tab at the top of the page here.

2. Do you play at school, with stronger opponents, ( players that defeat you 3 out of 4 times?

3. Coaching would be desireable, if you have a club setting even better but if not, use the Local tab again and search coaches with parents okay!

4. I have several other suggestions but message me for those!

5. Keep going bobobbob because you are more then half way to your goal already!

Damn dude... Ok so, formula for NM: 1. Achieve 1500+ USCF rating by the age of 14. Step 2. Study 9 more years and play.

That was very encouraging :P (I can't imagine what an older guy reading this must think).

When I grow up I want to live in a van down by the river...

He's actually the famous Norse master, Ton Ydal...

Bobobbob. 630 points to go is nothing, you already have 1570! You must get with your parents, your family and your teacher(s) and involve them in the attainment of your goal. If this is what you want you can do it but not without help. I think you can do it but you must believe in yourself which seems obvious. So do that first. Tell your family this is what you want to do, get them behind you, and then get to a club or get coaching. If you need any help message me!

I would like to get to NM someday as well. unfortunatly I dont not start seriously till 17 or so.  I guess 1 day at a time? Im off to do some tactics right now so hopefully every training session counts

1. I am lucky because the Dallas Chess Club is close and has several grandmasters there! My parents encourage chess so they wouldn't mind driving me (and paying the entry fee too).

2. No, I've only been beaten once at school.

3. Well, I used to have a NM as a coach, but my parents thought it was too expensive, so they got me a diamond membership instead. I hope chess mentor is a reasonable substitute!

4. Ok I'll message you.

5.Thank you!

 when I grow up I want to be a beetle

for reality my lifelong goal on chess is to become NM and i'm 13 without knowing my standard long time rating, if I establish one and reach 1500 uscf translated into fide I can do it! 

I started at 26 years old, and it took me 9 years to reach 1700 USCF. What are my chances of ever being an NM?

Actually, I'm not quite as slow as that sounds. I took about 4 years off in the middle, and I wasn't a USCF member for the first 2 years that I was playing. The last 2 years, I've increased my USCF rating more than 200 points per year, which is pretty good for adult in my 30's, I think.

Comparing myself to players in the 1900's who I play regularly, I'm convinced I can make up that difference to reach their level. Beyond that, I'll have to see when I get there.

bobo is my brother.. wow. How can u get 600 points in 3 years?? I still have 8 or 9 years until colledge, but I still have alot more to go because my USCF rating is ony 1000 D:

I had many other goals in chess before deciding that becoming NM was my goal. My first goal was simply to be better than a certain individual and he was a B class player. It took me 11 years to make NM but I probably could have done it in half that time if I had lived in a place like NYC where there was much more opportunity, and stronger players, than rural Georgia. For many years I studied chess much more than played it simply because there was no opportunity to play very much.

I live in Dallas so maybe I could do it in half the time...

How many hours a day did you have to study?

Just remember progression is not linear--each successive level is harder to attain. People under-estimate how much skill even a "lowly" expert has. My rating when I was 18 was around 1850 , then school, work, family etc took over--I think my peak was a little over 2100 but even at that level the work to maintain it and improve takes lots of time.

thanks, good to hear. didnt L. Stien start late as well?

How many (IMHO) is not the most important factor. Chess being a mental game, total concentration for short periods is better then aimless hours. The best method is to set aside a certain portion of your day (not always possible) but that is why you have to set goals. Write out a goals master list or a 5 year plan  to keep you on track. These are not written in stone but are a thread to help you keep on track. Setting aside a certain portion of your day for complete concentration is important. You can get rev'd up, you know what is coming and what is important. You have to set your own priorities and not what we are saying. You know what you want but we can only give our opinions in how to steer you but this might not be what is best for you to achieve your best possible results? You must dig deep, involve your family, parents, sisters, brothers and discover what is best for you!

And Mir Sultan Kahn only learnt the western version of chess at age 21, although he was very skilled in the Indian version.

In order to raise a rating of 1570 to 2200 requires improving. That is what the aim should be rather than rating points. As everyone knows improving requires playing and studying. Players may be stronger than their ratings indicate, but I suggest a player should not assume this is the case. It may be assumed an improving player rated 1570 can become 1670. I do not believe in assuming much more than has been proven. In order to gain rating points it is necessary to play against opponents with higher ratings, both for the practice and due to the way the rating system works. Part of improving and gaining points is consistency. This requires paying attention during the entire game and reducing mistakes.

Whatever rating is attained, a player can have as much fun playing chess as a player with a much higher rating. If a player is not having fun, there is not much point to playing.

If regular coaching is too expensive, it may be possible to use a coach less often than regularly. For example, instead of a private lesson once a week, it may be practical to use a coach every 3-6 months. This provides coaching as a checkup. The coach has to be able to assess what the student is capable of and needs at each session. Free group coaching is available at some tournaments that provide grandmasters who give lessons or analyze players' games. Another idea is to form study groups at a local club.

Regarding the discussion of the age a player starts at, I can add my personal experience. I first played rated chess after finishing college. I became an expert in one year. During the following years, I sometimes did not play rated chess. I was told that players over thirty could not become masters. I became a master after almost 16 years of rated chess. Ten years later I became a life master. My peak rating was 2397. GMs told me I was not overrated. The fact that I did not hit 2400 did not reduce my enjoyment of chess, although reaching it would have added some fun. However, I do not believe that a player's peak rating indicates actual strength. For example, if I had been 2400, all that I could have said is that I was 2400, which is called senior master in the US, but not that I was 2400 strength. If I had been 2400 and then declined and then been 2400 again two or three more times, it would have been more plausible for me to believe that I was playing at that level. Many players reach a peak rating that declines. It is important how long a peak is maintained. Numerous players who reached 2200, did it once and promply returned to 2000 or 2050. More important than the rating is trying to improve and having fun.

It should not be forgotten that character is part of the game. Sportsmanship in tournaments is important and even required. For improvement and consistency, character is necessary for the efficient utilization of intelligence. Making wise choices in the game is not purely a matter of intelligence. Character counts.

Albin, a Steinitz era player who would be classed as a very solid GM these days in terms of his success, learned at age 23.

with very few exceptions it takes years of hard work to get to 2200. Most people lose interest long before then.