another let down..... , 90 years old skydivers, 70 years old mountain climbers etc..... nothing stopping their dreams
Oh Kelvin! I'm not saying you can't skydive when you are 90! But I shouldn't go for the worldtitle, that is all... It certainly doesn't mean you can't enjoy it... I think. I wouldn't...
Listen here, young lady. Grandma Moses didn't even start her career in art until she was well in her 80s. Not "the 80s" but 80 years old!
There are many historical accounts of late bloomers in life finding their niche when others considered them damaged goods and past their prime.
Don't go filling this young man's head with silly notions that he should be put out to pasture to graze like some useless cow who is too old to contribute milk.
He has many talents and potential to change his life for the better no matter the direction he undergoes.
"It is in moments of decision, your destiny is shaped."
If there hasn't been a GM past 30 who wasn't already a master before then, then by God, be the first one!
That's the kind of attitude that gets things done.
Now quit pussy footin' around as my beloved mother would say Mr.Grad Student. You've got some chess to be studying. Have I made myself clear? (*Hint:The correct answer is, "Yes Sir!")
I am 54; do you think if I bought all Silman's books and read them really carefully I could be a grandmaster next year? I can work really hard and I beat the headmaster when I was 7. He wasn't very good though.
Just wondering, approx how many people in the world make a living at chess? How many have achieved grandmaster status at 30+? I am guessing at (i) less than 1000 and (ii) None. But I might be wrong there. I should get out more.
Even Silman isn't a Grandmaster yet. And he wrote those books.
Thought, in an interview Silman told he did not aspire to be a GM, because it requires lots of work.
Without holding an international title, i guess it doesn't worth it unless:
a)You are able to perform for at least 2200 on a regular basis.
b)You have a strong support from chess friends and chess coaches.
c) You have a good share of funding behind.
You CAN of course do with your life what you want, but keep in mind that there are things you have no control over. Things happen, you know, for no reason. They cross your path. And when you are 30 and you have to start from the beginning, I don't know... But hell, it's your life. All the best and I very much hope you will succeed. There are always exceptions.
That is a good point. I think understand what you saying after taking into consideration what HotFlow said.
It seems to me what you are saying is that life is for happiness. And not for pouring it down a pursuit that will end badly, that you shouldn't make a rash dash, without really taking everything in, weighing it up. For example, quiting your job and buying a farm or something, putting all your money in an endeavour that may not succeed, which you only discover after you have lost badly. Keeping a level head, a calm spirit, and being content with things is the sane way to go.
In some cases, I think that is the way to go. But in some cases, when you have never ever tried anything, people feel they just have to do it. That they have to take the risk, whatever comes.
The first way of thinking has it place, because we each have to answer what life means for us, and how to live it.
Just because you don't like taking crazy risk, doesn't mean you are afraid. It may be a wise decision; you know your strengths and weaknesses.
And also taking risks doesn't mean you are being rash.
But in both cases we can see the extremes. People doing crazy stuff just to prove a point, risk for the sake of taking a risk may be stupid.
Or sometimes people are afraid to take any risks, and they keep disguising their excuses as reason. (But even that is saying something, that they may not be ready etc)
At times people take on something big, something beyond them, to give meaning and shape to their life. It is like a heroic journey where the quest defines you, you are defined by your goal, and not your past, present, or your circumstance, and you accept that whatever happens, good or bad, in your control, not in your control, loss or gain, all lose their power, the purpose is what matters. It gives you the opportunity to overcome your pain-pleasure function, like in team sports, where the whole is more important than your own preferences. Maybe that's why people climb mountains?
So trying to achieve something great, like a GM, can be a lot things. It can like the words of a 5 yr old, when they say, I want to be the President.
Or of a 13yr old, who may not know what hard work and sacrifice is involved. Or someone who overestimates themselves. So the words can be uttered in pride, or greed or any other number of things.
But we have to be careful of the reverse, if you say it can't be done, it might be uttered in sloth, fear, envy, pride, underestimating etc
I don't know. Life is complicated. You have to decide for yourself.
as i said, i am not looking to be a GM. I am just looking to be FIDE 1750+
if you feel like you want to do it for the rest of your life you can do it ... i say go for it ... but also remember playing chess dosent always feed you ...
also cheak
I don't want to discourage you, but becoming a professional chess player at the age of 30 is as good as impossible. It's like saying I want to be a ballet dancer or a professional musician when you are almost in your mid life If you want to become a pro, you have to start at an early age. Certainly before you are 10! And you've missed that boat I guess... If I were you, I'd make something else out of my life.
admit it, there is a difference. chess can be LEARNED. it is an intellectual activity. it can be learned through very hard work and through lots of motivation. all you have to do is solve problems, learn opening theory solve lots and lots of endgame problems and you are already a competitive player. ballet dancing or being a musician require tons of equipment and access to training which is maybe available once a week. however, with chess you can practice any amount, up to 7 hours a day. it is much more possible given the motivation and ability.
You might accomplish your goal of getting to 1750, and becoming a coach, but you won't get to strong GM. If the coach career is your goal though, go for it.
he can do whatever he wants with his life, this is no dicatorship. people doing crazier things, like going 9 to 5 to a job they hate and then all of a sudden jump from a scyscraper.Life is for living, you dont have to die his death, so you shouldnt tell people how they want to live.
Sure.
We won't come to his house, burn his chess books and inoculate him with a mental disorder to make sure he won't get chess pro.
But, when you see that none in the history has ever made something when thousands have honestly tried, it might be a fair assumption to think you are not the one that will do it. That's just a fair warning : after that, if you have delusions of grandeur and that "you can do anything if you want it hard enough", that's your problem if you screw your life up.
he can do whatever he wants with his life, this is no dicatorship. people doing crazier things, like going 9 to 5 to a job they hate and then all of a sudden jump from a scyscraper.Life is for living, you dont have to die his death, so you shouldnt tell people how they want to live.
Sure.
We won't come to his house, burn his chess books and inoculate him with a mental disorder to make sure he won't get chess pro.
But, when you see that none in the history has ever made something when thousands have honestly tried, it might be a fair assumption to think you are not the one that will do it. That's just a fair warning : after that, if you have delusions of grandeur and that "you can do anything if you want it hard enough", that's your problem if you screw your life up.
well than you need to come up with a bigger number the world is full with people who succeeded where thousand failed. Nearly all successfull interesting people succeeded where thousand failed.
Im not saying he will make it, but if you stop there because other have failed, then you not more then 1 out of the 100 dogs that bark because another dog started barking at a shadow.
Im not saying he makes it, but how will it screw up his life more than always wondering in 20 years of what could have become. I mean its not that anyone will die trying or get cancer, no they will just live and have a life. There is no reason to believe that someone who fails gets less enjoyment of life than someone who wins but never had tried what he wanted.
I think the regret of what could have been is way bigger then the feeling of failure when you went wrong. Also you can fail in areas of life, you never heard of lawyer or doctors that ended in the street?? well i did and it happens everywere, better do what you want to do then follow conventions society wants to force on you. I mean if its love to another person all say go for it, but if its love for something everyone will say no dont do it. Why?? i think that is very narrow minded, life is too short to not try what you wanna try. At the end we all die if we failed or win.
I can't think of a worse or more pointless career to be honest
i mean im not saying its a good career, but believe me whatever you do, when you succeed where thousands have failed, it feels really good.
well than you need to come up with a bigger number the world is full with people who succeeded where thousand failed. Nearly all successfull interesting people succeeded where thousand failed.
Im not saying he will make it, but if you stop there because other have failed, then you not more then 1 out of the 100 dogs that bark because another dog started barking at a shadow.
Im not saying he makes it, but how will it screw up his life more than always wondering in 20 years of what could have become. I mean its not that anyone will die trying or get cancer, no they will just live and have a life. There is no reason to believe that someone who fails gets less enjoyment of life than someone who wins but never had tried what he wanted.
I think the regret of what could have been is way bigger then the feeling of failure when you went wrong. Also you can fail in areas of life, you never heard of lawyer or doctors that ended in the street?? well i did and it happens everywere, better do what you want to do then follow conventions society wants to force on you. I mean if its love to another person all say go for it, but if its love for something everyone will say no dont do it. Why?? i think that is very narrow minded, life is too short to not try what you wanna try. At the end we all die if we failed or win.
First, I hope you are aware that your fist paragraph is "people who were successful succeeded". In the same vein, lottery advertised once in France with "100% of winners had bought a ticket". Does it mean you have to play the lottery ?
Second, if you don't think that trying honestly (with very hard work) to get a titled player and not succeeding is screwing one's life up, ask any titled player on this site about their friends that did not make it.
Being without a real job (because who would hire you once you passed 40 and the only thing you know is how to play chess ?) is much, much worse than the regret of the remote possibility that maybe you could have been a GM (which is btw not so cool as it seems ; compared to the dedication you put in it, I doubt it is worth the work, both money-wise and happiness-wise).
Based on my results when I was 10 years old, it didn't look completely impossible that I become a titled player, my chess teacher told my parents ; but they wanted me to have, you know, a life ; and I am very grateful to them.
So yes, he might make it. That's possible. But as well as it is possible that while playing a game he will suddenly have an illumination about how to cure cancer and teleport people. Would you advise someone to sit down pondering how to solve problem XXX (eg cancer cure) because, well, there is always a possibility that it will happen like that ? No, because 'think hard enough and you will find' doesn't sound cool compared to 'work hard enough and you will make it'. But that's the same.
well than you need to come up with a bigger number the world is full with people who succeeded where thousand failed. Nearly all successfull interesting people succeeded where thousand failed.
Im not saying he will make it, but if you stop there because other have failed, then you not more then 1 out of the 100 dogs that bark because another dog started barking at a shadow.
Im not saying he makes it, but how will it screw up his life more than always wondering in 20 years of what could have become. I mean its not that anyone will die trying or get cancer, no they will just live and have a life. There is no reason to believe that someone who fails gets less enjoyment of life than someone who wins but never had tried what he wanted.
I think the regret of what could have been is way bigger then the feeling of failure when you went wrong. Also you can fail in areas of life, you never heard of lawyer or doctors that ended in the street?? well i did and it happens everywere, better do what you want to do then follow conventions society wants to force on you. I mean if its love to another person all say go for it, but if its love for something everyone will say no dont do it. Why?? i think that is very narrow minded, life is too short to not try what you wanna try. At the end we all die if we failed or win.
First, I hope you are aware that your fist paragraph is "people who were successful succeeded".
Second, if you don't think that trying honestly (with very hard work) to get a titled player and not succeeding is screwing one's life up, ask any titled player on this site about their friends that did not make it.
Being without a real job (because who would hire you once you passed 40 and the only thing you know is how to play chess ?) is much, much worse than the regret of the remote possibility that maybe you could have been a GM (which is btw not so cool as it seems ; compared to the dedication you put in it, I doubt it is worth the work, both money-wise and happiness-wise).
Based on my results when I was 10 years old, it didn't look completely impossible that I become a titled player, my chess teacher told my parents ; but they wanted me to have, you know, a life ; and I am very grateful to them.
So yes, he might make it. That's possible. But as well as it is possible that while playing a game he will suddenly have an illumination about how to cure cancer and teleport people. Would you advise someone to sit down pondering how to solve problem XXX (eg cancer cure) because, well, there is always a possibility that it will happen like that ? No, because 'think hard enough and you will find' doesn't sound cool compared to 'work hard enough and you will make it'. But that's the same.
Well im not saying he can achieve it, im just saying go for it. nothing in life is secure, no job, no career. Life is always full suprises anything can happen, he could die tomorrow of a heart failure doctors didnt notice.
Im just saying one can follow the dreams even if there lead to nowhere its not the end of the world.
What a relief there are still people around like Estragon and Irontiger!
There are other careers in chess apart from chess player (which if you are not already master-standard as a teenager, isn't going to happen). I know someone who is a full-time chess coach (his rating is about 2200, not high enough to play professionally). Also I suppose you can sell chess sets and books. Or organise chess events.
Listen here, young lady. Grandma Moses didn't even start her career in art until she was well in her 80s. Not "the 80s" but 80 years old!
There are many historical accounts of late bloomers in life finding their niche when others considered them damaged goods and past their prime.
Don't go filling this young man's head with silly notions that he should be put out to pasture to graze like some useless cow who is too old to contribute milk.
He has many talents and potential to change his life for the better no matter the direction he undergoes.
"It is in moments of decision, your destiny is shaped."
If there hasn't been a GM past 30 who wasn't already a master before then, then by God, be the first one!
That's the kind of attitude that gets things done.
Now quit pussy footin' around as my beloved mother would say Mr.Grad Student. You've got some chess to be studying. Have I made myself clear? (*Hint:The correct answer is, "Yes Sir!")