mental growth in chess

my name is jay, and i am a chess teacher here in clearwater, fla. chess has been likened to the martial arts in that it is up to the individual as to how good you wish to become. one of the most important things to realize is that an education is only as good as you allow it to be. the limitations, as well as the lack thereof that you put upon yourself, will dictate your abilities. after learning the movements of the pieces, you become a chessplayer. moreover, you become a linear chessplayer.

 this means that you make a move and wait for the opponent to make a move.

if you are mentally ready to progress, you will realize that your moves can dictate those of your opponent, or, vice versa. every good chessplayer knows that the game is NOT the white pieces verses the black pieces, but rather how one side uses the other's pieces against him or herself."memorization and regurgitation" of an opening has its place in chess, but without the knowlege of "focus and force", you might just as well be playing any other game.

knowing an opening is a key factor in chess, being able to recognize when there is a winning line of play is the difference between a chessplayer and a good chessplayer

this is in reply to the "can an older man become a master" question