Can a chess player become IM in his thirties?

Yes I do have wife and expecting a child..already working as civil engineer...so lot of distractions

Yes.

I didn't knew I was crap at chess....I was good player at university level...may be crap at professional level.... actually I am very fond of chess..I just wanted to know what is the maximum that I can achieve if devote some of my time and money into it.

im pretty sure most people who get titles do it before their thirties, getting one after 40 would be very rare indeed.

Oh, I didn't notice you'd only played 1 game of rapid and bullet and your max daily was 1800.

Ok, so now I'm not sure how good you are.

Although "good at university level" could mean anything. The best 20 year olds are playing for their national teams or in elite invite-only tournaments as top GMs.

No one knows what your maximum is. I will say though that part of "maximum" has to do with how much you're willing to sacrifice.

Don't they give out IM norms in cereal boxes?

I already said I may be crap...so no arguing with that...you are saying that achievements will depend upon sacrifices...it means if a person sacrifices a lot then he can become a GM also....i am afraid that may not be true

Frendu, I don't know. But I wish you all the best. I'm in my 30s and decided to see how far I can go. I've started a study plan, and I'll just see how it goes, balancing work, family, etc. If I make CM, I'll be over the moon. And if I don't, I am the sort of person that having a goal helps with progress anyway, and I enjoy the journey, being immersed in the game.

So, all the best, and I hope you keep us updated with your progress.

Is it possible? I suppose. Very unlikely, though.

Most players reach these titles at a younger age, when they don't have the responsibilities of having a job/career and/or raising a family. They also have the added bonus of learning from a relatively clean slate—as opposed to your average adult player, who has a lot of bad habits to break.

More realistic: I'd aim for the Candidate Master title. See if you can get that first. (It'll likely take years, and you can't just be lazy and goof around—you'd have to make a conscious, deliberate, dedicated effort).

One foot in front of the other.

Then, if you reach that level, you can start thinking about FM ...

Thanks buddy ...best of luck to you too.

Yeah you are right ..CM should be the first target.

In the movie, 2001, there is a depiction of the tail end of the 1910 game between Roesch and Schlage.

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1254321

Fischer reportedly dismissed the scene as impossible. I don't know that details have ever been published about Fischer's thinking, but I would guess that his assessment was based on the apparent implausibility of the white bishops on c1 and d1.

The reason children can improve much faster at chess is not simply because an adult's mind is slower. The start of every monumental breakthrough in chess usually comes with a complete revolution of your entire chess decision-making process.  Breakthroughs such as actually trying to analyze your opponents possible responses on each move, focusing on weak squares, lines, diagonals, color complexes, focusing on space and the center, focusing on piece activity and dynamics, focusing on tempo, etc  These breakthroughs are also more likely to occur if you are a risk-taking and/or creative person. 
Children are more likely to step out of their comfort zone and try a new style, try a new opening line, go for an unclear sacrifice, put themselves in a difficult tactical situation.  As we get older we tend to be more risk-adverse, we avoid difficult situations, we desire simplicity.   
If you are an adult trying to have explosive gains in chess, you need to fight these tendencies and should actually try to think more like a child.  Be as creative as possible, be willing to completely change your style, try new approaches.  Go for the difficult line, complicate the position.  Take more risks.  
In the short term, stepping out of your comfort zone will lead to unpredictable rating swings and will likely drop you quite a few rating points immediately.  This is because you are giving up the experience and consistency you had in your old style. You may have to start over new in a freshly-evolved style which is perhaps more difficult and which make take a while to become comfortable or proficient in.  

Short answer: yes, a player can become an IM in his 30s. It's been done before.

Slightly longer answer specific to the OP:

No, it's extremely unlikely that you will earn a title any time soon. That sounds harsh, but the OP has been here for a while now and is only 16xx here.

The first seven years are crucial to the development of any player, regardless of when they start. Studies have shown that where you are after 7 years is almost always within ~300 pts of your highest rating. 

The OP can prove me wrong, but he will need to change his trajectory in order to do so. To do that, hire a coach and devote yourself to the game. You won't earn a title by playing chess as a part-time pastime.

It would be interesting to see if a 35 year-old could go from sub 1000 rating to earning a title. Let's say the person wins the lottery and makes it his goal. He hires some big time chess coaches for over $100/hr. He practices all day. He stays motivated and has a staff that keep track of his tournament schedule, booking his flights and room all over the world. I still think it would be very slim chances for him to get there, but with all that training, he might get there.  

Wow!  What's his name?

Before I didn't have time at all from my job.i lost many matches just by time out...but now I have switched my job.I get free 3-4 hours daily.so I was thinking to devote this time for chess as I love this game a lot...I just wanted to know what is the maximum that I can get by devoting my time to chess.

@PowerofHope and all, statistics aren't Fate. But if you want to beat the stats, you gotta do something really special. You gotta devote yourself to targeted study, usually with the help of an experienced individual coach.

Four years later, and your chess.com rating is 1550.

1550 daily, which is like... 1100 OTB or something.

Anyway, only seen 1 topic like this where years later the guy was actually an NM.