Old(er) player starting Chess again!

I am brand new here.  I discovered this site through Facebook.

I have two games I love pool/billiards and chess.

See my Billiards ministry at:  www.christianpoolplayers.com

I played as a teenager then dropped it for a few decades. 

I have been playing elsewhere online for a couple years, but my game is consistently the same (not very good). 

It's still fun, but I would like to improve my game.  So any input for this "middle-aged" man is  appreciated

Thanks,

Jim

I

Practice. Study. Learn. Apply.

(It really is that simple.) 

Not sure if 33 is "middle age" but I'm in a similar position.  I played and studied a lot in college, but after losing to 6 and 7-year-olds in the two tournaments I played in back in the day, I got discouraged and lost interest (other life stuff took precedence also for a while, too).  But now I have a 7-year-old who has been taking lessons at our local chess academy and he's progressing very well and loves it.  So that has gotten me back into it -- I figure I need to get my game back together to stay at least a half-step ahead of him!  I've started working through my old collection of books, playing here, and Fritz, my son.  I still suck, but getting better hopefully.  But most importantly, trying to keep it fun!

Welcome to the site sir.  I've only been here 6 months or so myself, but you will find some fantastic resources here.  Unfortunately the best of them require a premium membership.  I know $100 a year for a diamond membership seems like a lot of money (especially on a pastor's salary), but it gives you access to serious learning tools.  This whole digital revolution thing that has reshaped our world has also changed our potential for learning.  By eliminating the "overhead" associated with digging information out of a book, learning becomes both quicker and more efficient.  ChessMentor, the TacticsTrainer, and the numerous videos available here can absolutely "jumpstart" your reentry to the chess world.  You can also just try it for a month and see if it is for you.  Good luck.