Are you talented enough...

...to achieve your own chess goals?

I assume that even the hobbiest of chess hobbyists has an unconscious goal along the lines of "I wanna feel good and/or a certain high from playing chess, and I want it to outweigh the negative feelings that I experience", at the very least; however, I'm more interested in managing motivation outside of just playing for the vague love of chess, as well as expectations outside of just the outcome of the game being played at the moment.

For example, let's say I wanna become a Candidate Master in 3 years tops, and let's say that I'm ready to invest up to 800 hours of chess study a year, 400 if I find a job, and all that without paying for a coach if I don't have a job (I don't have anyone who would tutor me for free, only some books which I haven't learned to learn from... and even then I might spend time on the wrong ones). Could I become a CM in 2-3 years, in that case? I don't believe so, although I could be wrong.

I'd like to know if there are any hobbyists who poured a similar amount of time and effort into chess at a similar age (I'm 30) and got aimilar titles, as well as whether or not they were deemed "GM material" or anything like that when they did it. I don't think I'm too talented, so I wanna manage my expectations realistically, should I decide to pursue anything like that.

It depends on various factors, including your starting skill level, aptitude for chess, study methods, and the quality of resources you have access to. Enjoy the journey of improvement for its own sake. Becoming a strong amateur player and enjoying the game should be the primary focus.

Hey, it's not that I disagree! Honestly, I'd like to have a title for two reasons: 1) being at a level at which I can teach myself without being clueless about the real problems in my game, and 2) promotional reasons, such as potentially drawing a bigger audience to my streams and stuff. I know that the latter isn't an absolute factor, but hey, titles do open some additional options, at least!

Achieving a chess title is a long-term commitment and can take several years of dedicated effort. Be patient with yourself, stay motivated, and enjoy the process of improvement along the way. While aiming for a CM title is a great objective, it's essential to embrace the learning process and recognize that progress in chess can be slow and non-linear.

Why does this read like a ChatGPT comment? 😆 It's not that I don't agree, though.

There's a catch to my involvement with chess: as nice of a hobby as it might be, lately I haven't been seeing good results, so the purpose I see in chess as a hobby (which is mental stimulation + satisfaction upon carrying out a concept) has diminished... which I wouldn't be seeing as a problem if the chess obsession didn't stick with me even after losing. If I just play and do nothing to do better and win, it turns into masochism, and I don't want that.

When the enjoyment starts to wane, and it feels more like a source of frustration, it's a sign that some adjustments may be necessary.

Okay, yeah, but which ones, in my case? 😆

Setting smaller, incremental goals can provide a sense of accomplishment along the way.

Consider exploring other hobbies or interests to balance your focus and prevent burnout.

Learning to accept losses gracefully and not letting them negatively impact your enjoyment is a valuable skill.

Primary purpose of a hobby should be enjoyment and personal satisfaction. If chess is no longer providing that, it's okay to reassess your involvement and make changes as needed.