You're never too old to learn how to play chess.
What I would recommend is playing regular games and analyzing them (as you are already doing), doing some tactics puzzles (on chess.com or chesstempo), and study openings regularly. That's what I've been doing for the past 2 or so months and my rating has improved from 900 to the high 1200s now.
Endgames have been a holy grail for me - just win a pawn, trade everything, grind it out, make a queen, PROFIT!
But I definitely feel you on the general subject at hand....I've been working like crazy for over a year, and I don't feel like I'm any better than I was.....however, more experienced players have looked at my games and assure me I'm doing OK. I think we just want to be 1800 NOW, and it doesn't quite work like that.
try HGH. you will see results almost immeadiatley!
Well, I started about a year and a month ago, and I'm 15. It does take time to get to where you want to be in chess, but all I can say, is I actually improved a lot, and you will too. It just takes time to get better, just think about all the title players on here, it took them years to get what they wanted, and look at them now.
It was about a year ago that I started working to improve my game. It is slow going, but you just have to stick with it and look for new ways to improve.
What I mean by this is not just learning new things about chess, but looking for new ways to improve the way you learn chess.
I've written a few blog posts about my experience. Maybe you can gain something from them.
http://www.chess.com/blog/kleelof
I started playing chess nine months ago. I practice constantly. I work on tactics, openings, pattern recognition etc. and I play a lot of games against the computer and other players. My rating is between 1100-1150. I use the chess app "analyze this" to go over my games. The tactical mistakes that I discover I make seem astounding to me after the fact. Is it usually the case that players that have been playing for almost a year to keep making fundamental errors during a game? I am worried that I may not have the knack to ever be able to play in amature tournaments. I am also 54 years old. A bit old to learn to play chess?
Im 51, and started playing in 2009. Im a USCF A player. I dont study openings, or tactics. I got where im at purely by studying middlegame planning, and endgames.
I would recommend a small break from your routine, and then change your routine. I've been reading "The Amateur's Mind" and playing a lot of 2 & 10 minute games, and one 15/10 a day.
When I finish the book, I've slowly been studying it for months, I'm gonna switch to playing 30 minute games only(probably one a day), plus I'm gonna try and keep about 20 correspondence games going at once, and trying to 'apply' the WEALTH of information I've come across to my actual game. After a few months of doing that, I'm gonna switch back to faster games, to see if I've gotten the new information 'down'.
I'm about 1250-1550 right now(at normal length games), check my scores in 6 months, and see if I'm better.
When you get 'bored' and 'discouraged' with your routine, it can leave you feeling depressed about chess. So, try and keep it interesting, if nothing else. Because, chess is GREAT for your brain, whether you're 500 or 2500.
It takes time, and planning, but ANYBODY can get better at chess. Even Magnus Carlsen is couped up somewhere, sharpening his chops.
No need to worry as long as you enjoy the process. Chess is not an easy game. And 1150 is a decent rating given that you started a few months ago.
You're never too old, but of course you are not learning with the same pace a 7 year old kid would do...
try HGH. you will see results almost immeadiatley!
What'S HGH?
Human Growth Hormone - it's an illegal drug that makes muscles grow unnaturally......'better' than steroids, if you're in to that kind of thing.
Human Growth Hormone - it's an illegal drug that makes muscles grow unnaturally......'better' than steroids, if you're in to that kind of thing.
Actually HGH, when used improperly, is in the category of "steroid".
I am worried that I may not have the knack to ever be able to play in amature tournaments. I am also 54 years old. A bit old to learn to play chess?
As long as your playing chess and having fun you are a winner no matter the result.
Look at Henry Bird.........
http://www.chessgames.com/portraits/henryedwardbird.gif
He had the right attitude he got up everyday and was ready to play a game against anyone any time anywhere under any conditions the more you love the game the more it motivates you to improve.
Don't give up!
In the Manchester Chess federation i know of a senior gentleman who has only been playing chess for 5 years he has acheived a very respectable FM grade
for obvious reasons his name will not be put anywhere without his permission but i use this example to show you that your age is not a barrier and the limit isnt set on his or your ability
Old habits are very hard to break. I know this through experience. I had to go back through and re-examine my opening repertoire.
Maybe you could post a few games (preferably losses) so we can get an idea of what you're doing?
to the OP: if you identify your weakness to be missing little tactics, the fix your weakness by working on tactics with appropriate training! to everyone else: from experience, I've found that working "like crazy"while not getting better is equivalent to not doing anything usually this happens when you study openings for too long... training should yield results (not necessarily reflected in rating, but usually is), otherwise you're doing it wrong!
There is a disconnect between absorbing material and being able to apply it. Pressuring yourself for results isn't particularly effective since the stress builds and becomes detrimental to development. As other people have mentioned, while it is work and hard work at that, it's more about the personal journey than about anything else.
Remember that ratings are only meant to give you an opponent of similar strength to play against so that you both are working in the game. To assign other meanings, attribute worth or ego to it, acts as a brake to your enjoyment and ability to lose yourself in the experience.
If you're progressing and finding the game rewarding then that's all that really matters -- though of course, refinement of study methods that work is another journey as well. 
Good luck and congratulations in joining the legion of Caissa's lost!
oops, didnt mean to delete my comment--
if you've only known how to play for 9 months, I think you're doing quite a good job. This game takes some experience and that's how it goes because theres always more to learn. I think you are just hitting that 1st hill where you've learned the basic principles, you've moved up into the next level of play where it is assumed that your opponents will know all the basics just as you do, and so it comes down much more to raw calculation. At that level, your goal should be to improve calculating and visualization. The better you get at this, the more accurate your evaluations of the board will be which results less and less blunders. a good way to keep track of your progress is to analyze your games and track how many blunders you make. you will notice your rating steadily goes up as your blunder rate goes steadily down.
, you're progress seems better than normal to me and you certainly are not too old that is for sure. It just get's harder as you go and progress will get slower and slower the higher you get, and the harder you have to work.
I started playing chess nine months ago. I practice constantly. I work on tactics, openings, pattern recognition etc. and I play a lot of games against the computer and other players. My rating is between 1100-1150. I use the chess app "analyze this" to go over my games. The tactical mistakes that I discover I make seem astounding to me after the fact. Is it usually the case that players that have been playing for almost a year to keep making fundamental errors during a game? I am worried that I may not have the knack to ever be able to play in amature tournaments. I am also 54 years old. A bit old to learn to play chess?