FACT: You can't improve at chess

No, I am MUCH better than I was 20 years ago or even 10 years ago.  Sometimes, you have the talent to be a 2000 level player, but there are a few holes in your knowledge that cause you to lose games.  That was the case with me.   After I studied the "right things", everything started to click and I filled in those holes and vaulted from 1600 to around 1900, over the past 5-10 years (in my late 40's/early 50's no less).   It takes dedication, lots of study and some inborn talent.   Not everyone can continue to improve at my age though.  I have managed to keep my mind sharp by playing lots of strategy games, taking quizzes, doing puzzles, etc.   I may be a rare exception to the age rule (most people peak mentally at around age 40).  I will admit that I am not a fast player.  I excel at longer games, where I can think deeply.   My blitz rating is only around 1450, but my daily rating is 1820 and rising.  

Jeff Green, you are the f***ing man bro.

This is going to be a very controversial post - but I strongly believe that once someone has a basic understanding of the game (knowing all the opening variations, basic strategies etc..) it's almost impossible to improve based on practice. I think we all have a natural ability that will dictate our skill level. It's why we see little kids rated as grandmasters but players who have put 20+ years in still struggle at 1500

This is why you see that majority of players, who have played for over 5 years ALWAYS hover around the same rating. You would think after 5 years of consistent practice the rating would gradually increase? 

Every single graph I've looked at at long term players is within 200 rating points. I.e. if someone is rated 1900 they will have hovered between 1800-2000 for their entire careers. It makes me believe chess is based on genetic intelligence you're born with and nothing more. Yes you can sharpen your skill but you're not going to go from struggling at 1000 to 2500 in 10 years.

I know the majority of you are thinking "what an idiot of course you can improve" - Show me a graph of a player who has consistently improved over time. It doesn't exist. It's usually rapid increase or decrease at the beginning then just hovering around a rating forever. Give me a player profile graph and show me slow, long term improvement

Absolutely true, but people don't want to understand it.

When I started playing chess, my rating was already 1700. And let's have a look at some players, who learn this game their whole life, and their rating is still 1200 or something like that.

Let's make this straight. Chess isn't based on intelligence, it is about the effort you put in. Tell me how IQ has anything to do with learning chess stuff! In school if 2 kids are taught a history lesson, kid A is a genius, kid B is average. Their IQ has nothing to do with their knowledge of that lesson, it is the effort of listening to the teacher. It is the same with chess, it is about the effort you put into training and learning chess things. Your first point was that some people become high rated and a young age while some are stuck. That is because those young people got exposed to a ton of chess understanding at a very young age. You also used the point others are stuck. Well ask those people who are stuck this: Do you have a chess coach? Do you expose your self to a lot of chess understanding? Do you train? Do you review your games? Chances are most will say no to most of those questions. Also you said you started at a high rating, that is clearly impossible. Lets turn the tables around and give me one graph when someone started at a high rating. Also your final point is you need a graph. While here's one but if you look enough there will probably be 30.  What I am trying to say is that this is an elitist and dumb claim. This graph shows a steady walk from 1250 to 2000 over 5 years

No, at Tails204

You are correct, improving is impossible.

But deproving, that's easy.