well friends, my motive for aspiring for this is similar to aspiring for a degree from an elite institution or a professional certification in your field of expertise or interest...yes, that might sound selfish or rude.. And also the fact that it is really tough and improbable to get makes one aspire more to get it, same thing here...somebody asked why not FM or CM, reason probably is they are not so tough to achieve (im not talking about me, yes, it is improbable i may even get a CM, but im talking about experts and dedicated or talented players)..and yes, it is also a sort of stamp of approval in the chess world, especially if u like to pursue chess administration and organising tournaments on a national scale, which i plan to do...and i would really thank all the honest replies that have been posted, both for their time, and their effort..
can I be an IM before i die?
You would definitely need more than 5 hours a week, but attaining an IM title sometime in your life after starting chess in your 20's isn't impossible if you studied correctly and consistently for years.
Any examples of someone becoming IM after starting at 26?
Seems like there was one great european player in the 1800's who claimed he didn't start playing chess until he was 18, but I can't remember who. I think he also claimed he was instantly as good as he ever got after a few weeks of playing, so his story is a bit suspect Other than that every IM and GM I've ever read a bio of started playing at a very early age.
You would definitely need more than 5 hours a week, but attaining an IM title sometime in your life after starting chess in your 20's isn't impossible if you studied correctly and consistently for years.
Any examples of someone becoming IM after starting at 26?
Seems like there was one great european player in the 1800's who claimed he didn't start playing chess until he was 18, but I can't remember who. I think he also claimed he was instantly as good as he ever got after a few weeks of playing, so his story is a bit suspect Other than that every IM and GM I've ever read a bio of started playing at a very early age.
Blackburne
Blackburne
Yeah ! Good job...you have amazing chess trivia juju.
well friends, my motive for aspiring for this is similar to aspiring for a degree from an elite institution or a professional certification in your field of expertise or interest...
Surely you would need to put in more than 4/5 hours or work a week if you want to get a degree. My advice is to study everyday. Also it depends on whether ou want to take this goal seriously or not...if that is the case at least 10+ hours a week. let me give an example. e.g. I talked to someone writing a book, his advice to me on writing a book was to do it everyday, take it seriously and get zoned in. When you write a book you will need to edit and delete some of your book. Similarily in chess you will make mistakes and need to improve on lessons, openings, game analysis and tactics. Be prepared to make mistakes and learn fom them...that is the only way ou will get better.
I like i want to be too hehe
This is an easily attainable goal if you are decently bright and have a strong work ethic. I think more like spending 1 to 2 hours a week would be the best route for you. I wouldn't try to overburden a budding brilliance with a stressful 4 to 5 hours.
This is an easily attainable goal if you are decently bright and have a strong work ethic. I think more like spending 1 to 2 hours a week would be the best route for you. I wouldn't try to overburden a budding brilliance with a stressful 4 to 5 hours.
No.
If that were true then there's be countless millions of IM's running around, not a few thousand.
This is an easily attainable goal if you are decently bright and have a strong work ethic. I think more like spending 1 to 2 hours a week would be the best route for you. I wouldn't try to overburden a budding brilliance with a stressful 4 to 5 hours.
No.
If that were true then there's be countless millions of IM's running around, not a few thousand.
I bet 100 bitcoins that he is joking.
10,000 hours is much more likely to take you to the top 10% not top 0.2%
In Epstein's critique of Gladwell's work, he refers to a study that the average time to IM is 11,053 hours. So if OP studies 4.5 hours a week, it'll only take him about 47 years to become an IM. Though if you're starting this late and studying less than an hour a day, your time to master will likely be a lot longer than average.
well friends, i got into competitive chess just a year and a half ago, when i had crossed 26 (age). To be honest, i absolutely love this game, but im not good at it. Havent received a FIDE rating even after playing 3 tournaments, during which i realised that there is a huge difference between wanting to do good and actually being able to do good. I want to be an IM in my lifetime. Dont ask me why, thats just a wish. Doesnt matter if i get it at 50 or 70 years. My humble question is, with 4 or 5 hours a week dedicated to chess, can i achieve it in 20 or 30 years? I vud love to dedicate more time, even whole day bcoz i love this game, but cant. Bcoz i have other things to do in life as well, and being an IM is just one. Pls advise on whether this is just a goal that i should abandon or try to take it as it comes? Thanks
read career:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ye_Jiangchuan
10,000 hours is much more likely to take you to the top 10% not top 0.2%
In Epstein's critique of Gladwell's work, he refers to a study that the average time to IM is 11,053 hours. So if OP studies 4.5 hours a week, it'll only take him about 47 years to become an IM. Though if you're starting this late and studying less than an hour a day, your time to master will likely be a lot longer than average.
11,503 huh?
I like how they got it down to the single hour. I'm not going to lie... knowing the number of minutes would have been nice, but the way they did it isn't so bad I guess.
saying that people can't get good at chess when they are at X age is like saying nobody cant get good at math at age X
saying that people can't get good at chess when they are at X age is like saying nobody cant get good at math at age X
Any examples of players becoming IM starting at 26?
saying that people can't get good at chess when they are at X age is like saying nobody cant get good at math at age X
Define "get good at math"
Is it being better than all your family and friends at math? Congratulations you're "1300"
Being better than most other university math students? Congratulations you're "1800."
How many people who didn't even know how to multiply or divide decide they wanted to learn some math at age 20 and went on to win a Fields Medal?
Whether you believe something is possible, or if it is impossible, you are probably right.
saying that people can't get good at chess when they are at X age is like saying nobody cant get good at math at age X
Define "get good at math"
Is it being better than all your family and friends at math? Congratulations you're "1300"
Being better than most other university math students? Congratulations you're "1800."
How many people who didn't even know how to multiply or divide decide they wanted to learn some math at age 20 and went on to win a Fields Medal?
In a field like mathematics, where literally billions have been exposed to a structured curriculum much of their lives, winning a Fields medal is a lot more statistically rare than becoming world chess champion. Never mind becoming an IM. That's more of a Master's degree.
The fact that there are very few chess GM's on the planet at any one time has a lot more to do with how few people pursue it as a full time endeavor than with its impossibility relative to various PhD's.
An IM is far harder than a Masters degree. Almost nobody who pursues a Masters fails.
A lot has been said already, but I'd also point out this frequent misunderstanding regarding rating gaps. It is easy to get from 1000 to 1500. With some dedication, time and practice it's also not that hard to make it to 2000. But the higher you want, the more uphill it becomes.
I have a rating of 2304 FIDE and an IM norm. Even if I would dedicate 4-5 hours per day to chess, and play 6-8 tournaments per year, it's highly unlikely that I would make it to IM. I might gather a large number of norms, but elo 2400 is way beyond my reach.
So the answer is: No. You won't have the first service of Pete Sampras, the acceleration of Usain Bolt or an IM title in your lifetime. Just play and enjoy the game as I do, and be happy about every improvement that might happen.