Chess for Oldtimers --- Good Idea !

75 and just starting out. just finished my 4th game.I love this game .my goal is 1700 by 80.

thats cool bcoburn you should add me as a friend so we can play some time

Thanks for all ofthe recent posts. Thanks Wilkersk for the info, just the sort of good news that Oldtimers like me need  lol. Bcoburn2, glad to hear that you are enjoying this fun game and carry on ! 

People get nicer as they get older . I moved to Spain and a warmer , healthier ,more relaxed life style when I retired, also started playing chess again after a break of 35-40 years.I make some silly mistakes but it is easier to forgive myself these days.

Thanks for the post Acupolco. I find that my mind does wander a little from time to time and before I know it I've given away a Rook or even my Queen for no reason. But I try not to worry about it and also I try to be more careful in the next game  lol. 

I ccelebrated my 70th. birthday last 4 July  I still keep fit by exercising daily.  Although my best chess years are behind me, I still enjoy the puzzles.  I am too busy for tournaments.  As it happened I just started a new business.

I wonder about people spending their lives thinking of the time they stop working.  I tried retirement for 4 months and was going slowly crazy so I opened a new pharmacy and now I am happily busy.  Pushed back my retirement age to 80.  Since there are few in my age group I might accept the challenge of game.  I just hate to lose, even in chess.

Thanks for the post Pyramider, I'm glad to hear that you are keeping busy. Having a occupation that one enjoys is important to be sure. 

I came to this website a couple of days ago.  I'll be 78 next month.  I love chess but hadn't had a game in years.  Around 1974 my wife and I and another couple went on a cruise on the Russian liner, Fedor Chaliapan (excuse spelling).  I beat all the passeners who joined in the chess tournament and then had to play the top Russian crew member, the chief engineer.  I thought I would have no show.  They plied me with vodka and so -- what the hell, I had as much as they gave (sillier me in those days).  Also other Russians talked to my opponent -- giving advice no doubt.  Anyway I won!  It was the game of my life and I wish I had kept a record of it.  Only a photo which I might put up on my profile. And maybe this blog.  Anyway the captain presented me with a bottle of champagne on the dance floor that night, with a book on Russian ships.  I think Russian cruise ships are the best.  No tipping and a thoroughly honest staff.  My wife taught me to do cryptic crosswords, which we mostly solve every day.  Also I often transcribe speech into Pitman's shorthand in my mind when people are talking.  It is all good exercise for the brain.

Thanks for leaving the post Ash369. Sounds like you had a terrific time on that Cruise-ship ! I'm very glad when we get happy comments here in this thread. 

hey ash369 - finally someone older than I am. I turned 75 last Saturday. Good for you winning all those games.

What I love about this thread is that at 59 I feel like a teenager again.

Thanks for the recent posts, Good Stuff !

I just turned 69, same age as my husband.  We watch our pennies, but have splurged on 2 European river cruises.  The first was in 2005 on a Polish riverboat, the Frederic Chopin, with stops in Germany and Poland, and an all-European group of passengers on board. Lovely!  Five years later, on a Rhine --> Mein --> Danube cruise from Amsterdam to Vienna, with American passengers, I started a chess "tournament" of sorts, which I "won," thanks, almost certainly, to the dearth of entrants and the Complete Absence of Russian players....but what a hoot!

P.S. I'm also still working 3 -4 days/week, in a profession I love.  

Motherinlaw, those sound like very very nice cruises. When I was a very young lad I lived in the Black Forest not too too far from Stuttgart which is on the Neckar River. From there the riverboats go downstream and then onto the Rhine, I never got to ride on the boats tho. Many years ago I did get to go on a small Ocean-liner and sail over here to Canada, over 50 years ago now  lol.                             

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaitlinshiner/6195891477/

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/19098947

Thanks for the post Catnapper. I was just reading thru the Jan. 2012 issue of Aviation History and came across an item that fits into this thread. It concerns 95 year old Joe Morehead who was a Fighter pilot in World War II. Some months back when he had his birthday he was given a surprise present. Jim was given a ride in a dual-control ( Trainer ? ) version of a WW II fighter, a RP 40 N model. During the flight in this restored plane Jim also took over the controls for a time, quite an inspiration ! 

Ah, the Black Forest...

Thanks for photo AndyClifton. Hmmmm I'm getting hungry just looking at it  lol.

http://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/a-game-that-changed-my-life

Thanks for the post Champ_Weller. I had read that item earlier while going thru the forums here, some very good info there for Visitors to this thread.

A while back in this thread I mentioned the recent article in Chess Life on GM Pal Benko. At the time I was worried that he might be retiring ( he is nearing 84 years of age ) but I was glad to see that the May 2012 issue of Chess Life continues to carry his column. Benko was the Winner ( or tied for first place ) 8 times in the US Open between 1961 & 1975, still a record. He was awarded the title of GM in 1958 and it is very inspirational to see Benko carrying on with his Chess projects.