it depends what you want
Learning chess late in life
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30 is late in life???
Wow, I'm ancient then.
I don't think it is late in life for you to acheive that goal. I think it will take a little more than an hour every other day but I also think that even if you just make it to 1800 or so you will get much enjoyment out of it.
Apr 11, 2013
0
#4
As a post-retirement age player returning after decades of other interests and family obligations, I would suggest that what works for kids will work for adults as well.
The two disadvantages of age are speed and memory. There is no way you can compete at blitz with a 20 year old, so don't try. You are also most likely going to be frustrated if you try to spend much time trying to learn openings rather than the basic ideas that go with the positions. Learn tactics and increase your positional awareness. Eliminate 3-move blunders. Let your maturity lead you into being patient when your opponent forces an attack that fails. You do have some advantages, they are just different, so learn to use your strengths.
Good advice.
paulgottlieb wrote:
If you intend to become world champion, that ship sailed a long time ago. But you still have plenty of time to become Avery good chess player--don't let anyone tell you otherwise. There is one trap that the adult learner has to avoid, and that is trying to tackle material that is too advanced for you. Even though you are capable of intellectually understanding advanced chess concepts, they will do you no good at all if you haven't built a good foundation. Really master the basics first!
what are the basics and when do you know you have them mastered?? don´t understand me wrong, i really want to know it, no joking.
thank you
PendejoCity1 wrote:
i feel for you om890 i am 52 years old and i feel my brain is as freash as it was when i was 18 the human brain is a remarkable thing the more you use it the more agile it becomes but still there is the glass ceiling of native ability past this point thou shalt not go so even if you are like me an 1100 blitz player enjoy things for what they are and leave the tougher games for the tougher guys
you are probably right, but i still can´t believe that a 52 year old would come up with a username like pendejocity
then i probably should call myself the biggest pendejo
Apr 11, 2013
0
#10
I am 55 years old. My experience has been that playing blitz may be fun, but it doesn't teach you much if you are not playing well at that rate of speed. A key factor is a balance of actual play, technical instruction or practice e.g. tactics trainer, books of chess tactics to solve, etc. and most essentially, playing over the games you won and lost. I struggle with bipolar disorder so I am playing at a disadvantage many days but there's nothing I can do about that. Playing over the games you lost is actually good for the ego, not bad, because you can see where you made mistakes and say "well, I know better than that now." Not playing over the games you lose, but playing lots of games, doesn't teach you much, I think.
By the way, though I have my ups and downs, just over a year ago I started on chess.com with a rating of about 1200 or so, and though I am now in a trough, I'm playing 1600+ and reached 1892 in 15 0 games on FICS two months ago. My goal was to reach 1800. So I'm doing okay. Keep your chin up.
om890 wrote:
Hi,
Although I had learnt all the basic chess moves and few tactics by the age of 8, I never played chess a lot in my school days. After the age of 28, I suddenly got very much interested in chess and started playing a lot, seriously. Now, I am 30 and want to improve my game. I am not keen on achieving any chess title but want to strive for a rating of at least 2000+. Currently, I might be hovering in the range of 1050 to 1125 fide elo. I just want to improve and be a strong chess player, that's it.
I have 1 hour of chess practice (gameplay) for every two days and minimum 40 chess tactics daily. A senior friend of mine who used to play in international tourneys before he took retirement from chess says that there is a slight improvement in my game. At least, I have started noticing the blunder or impending threats in the game. I can also identify the popular openings and mainlines.
On the contrary, many people close to me including my senior friend I mentioned above keep telling me that it is too late to start chess at the age of 30+ and keep dissuading me from chess. I do agree that I have time/age disadvantage. So, the question is should I stop putting more effort playing it or keep playing/practicing and improving it.
People want to be polite. But frankly, you'll never become a good player. Your problem is not your age. The problem is that after 2 years that you started "playing a lot, seriously" you still have the rating that people of normal intelligence achieve in a day.
I expect somebody with an above average IQ (the kind of people attracted by games such as chess, poker, etc.) to learn how the pieces move in the morning and be able to play at 1200 level in the afternoon.
If you still can't do that after 2 years, it simply means that your brain doesn't have the kind of intellectual abilities that are used in chess. Your age is not a factor.
plutonia i guess you are right, i also need to give up chess.
plutonia wrote:
People want to be polite. But frankly, you'll never become a good player. Your problem is not your age. The problem is that after 2 years that you started "playing a lot, seriously" you still have the rating that people of normal intelligence achieve in a day.
I expect somebody with an above average IQ (the kind of people attracted by games such as chess, poker, etc.) to learn how the pieces move in the morning and be able to play at 1200 level in the afternoon.
If you still can't do that after 2 years, it simply means that your brain doesn't have the kind of intellectual abilities that are used in chess. Your age is not a factor.
You are nuts. A 1200 rating in the first day? Your expectations are ridiculous.
As for his rating after two years, it depends on how much chess he played in two years. When I was a youngster I played just against my dad and didn't learn a lot. At that point I would have been lucky to be 1000 rated USCF despite years of playing. I played a bit in college. Now at 39 just took it up again and am not doing so badly.
The kind of people attracted by games such as chess, poker, etc. have an above average IQ?
A rating that people of normal intelligence achieve in a day?
What kind of argument is all that?
Not to mention speaking for other people, who may or may not want to be polite..
2000? then why are you worried?
Another thing...you are going to get people that want to put you down. I noticed you said
"I might be hovering in the range of 1050 to 1125 fide elo."
You play one hour of chess every other day? Then your rating is where it should be. And that might be statement? So, you really don't even know what your rating is then, right? It could be higher? The fact that you are Indian (I presume), and can speak English at a competent/high level implies to me you are most assuredly "above average intelligence". If you want to be "good", you need to define what that means for you, set realistic goals based on the time you have away from work and family, and expect nothing but to have fun while improving with that time. How much do you study? If you don't love studying, and have fun with it, I don't see how you could get to 2000 ever. I think three hours a day (and maybe 16 on the weekends) for 10 years may get you to 2000, or close. I know some people can do it in less time, but it varies...
You also need to be playing OTB at least 2x a week and as many tournaments as you can (3 a year at least..). Join a chess club. Several GM's I have read stated the only way to get as good as your talking about (rating wise) is to play as many tournaments as possible..and then study...especially your OTB games, with someone rated higher than you.
And study master level games...not GM level games.
[COMMENT DELETED]
naturalproduct wrote:
2000? then why are you worried?
Another thing...you are going to get people that want to put you down. I noticed you said
"I might be hovering in the range of 1050 to 1125 fide elo."
You play one hour of chess every other day? Then your rating is where it should be. And that might be statement? So, you really don't even know what your rating is then, right? It could be higher? The fact that you are Indian (I presume), and can speak English at a competent/high level implies to me you are most assuredly "above average intelligence". If you want to be "good", you need to define what that means for you, set realistic goals based on the time you have away from work and family, and expect nothing but to have fun while improving with that time. How much do you study? If you don't love studying, and have fun with it, I don't see how you could get to 2000 ever. I think three hours a day (and maybe 16 on the weekends) for 10 years may get you to 2000, or close. I know some people can do it in less time, but it varies...
You also need to be playing OTB at least 2x a week and as many tournaments as you can (3 a year at least..). Join a chess club. Several GM's I have read stated the only way to get as good as your talking about (rating wise) is to play as many tournaments as possible..and then study...especially your OTB games, with someone rated higher than you.
And study master level games...not GM level games.
how do you get annotated master level games?? or do you mean analysing for yourself?
yea i have the same question
Hi,
Although I had learnt all the basic chess moves and few tactics by the age of 8, I never played chess a lot in my school days. After the age of 28, I suddenly got very much interested in chess and started playing a lot, seriously. Now, I am 30 and want to improve my game. I am not keen on achieving any chess title but want to strive for a rating of at least 2000+. Currently, I might be hovering in the range of 1050 to 1125 fide elo. I just want to improve and be a strong chess player, that's it.
I have 1 hour of chess practice (gameplay) for every two days and minimum 40 chess tactics daily. A senior friend of mine who used to play in international tourneys before he took retirement from chess says that there is a slight improvement in my game. At least, I have started noticing the blunder or impending threats in the game. I can also identify the popular openings and mainlines.
On the contrary, many people close to me including my senior friend I mentioned above keep telling me that it is too late to start chess at the age of 30+ and keep dissuading me from chess. I do agree that I have time/age disadvantage. So, the question is should I stop putting more effort playing it or keep playing/practicing and improving it.