Road to Grandmaster

 Still neglecting a key point however. The Thesis is picked and developed by the candidate. In chess, you cant' force someone to play your pet lines.

good luck with it. I hope you succeed.

Nothing wrong with having ambitions which are achievable, but this is not. I just presumed the OP doesn't want to spend his time chasing something he's not going to get. 

If you don't have the bodytype to be a champion swimmer, you just can't do it.

It takes more than hard work to be a GM, too.

Have you got an exceptional talent or aptitude for the game compared to the similarly rated players around you?

You'd have to, if you expect that hard work and time will make you a GM at this late stage.

About body types of swimmers... did all the swimmers have their swimming physique or did they develop it from all the training?

Or are we limiting the discussion to world champion swimmers only?

There have been more Olympic Swimmers in history than Grandmasters..

On a sidenote, the value of the GM title has seriously gone down when people compare it to a PhD.

So what's the verdict? Achieving a PhD or qualifying to be an Olympic swimmer is not as hard as getting a GM; hence the small population of GM holders?

Or was it really because of this reason that you just posted?

 Not to denigrate a PhD as it can be a tremendous undertaking (I have friends who put 8 years into achieving one) but no, it is not nearly as hard to become a PhD as a GM. Let me list a few additional reasons why-

1) General intelligence doesn't have clear correlation to chess aptitude. A lot of very smart people have not been especially good chess players.

2) Unlike FM, you have to have a bit of luck in that you have a tournament performance requirement. A PhD defends a thesis sure, but only has to be successful once. A GM requires 3 norms, doesn't get to choose the positions discussed etc.

3) A chess player's key attributes the ability to calculate and memory begin to erode already by their mid 30's much like an athletes eye hand coordination. It not unheard of for people to start a PhD and complete it in their 40's and 50's. How many GM's have gotten their titles at those ages. Certainly no player has ever learned the game at 40 and become a GM.

I think the comparison to an Olympic level athlete is much more apt.

It might be hard, and with college you might be too busy but good luck

Interesting discussion.  To those who claim I have no idea of how difficult it is, let me point out that I'm not a kid who's just learned chess and decided he wants to be Bobby Fischer.  I've played competitive chess for a number of years, have talked to and played against GMs, and have a strong sense of the enormous gap between their level and mine.  However, I love the game and know that I will play it for the rest of my life, and so am prepared to put in a great deal of work on getting stronger.  Whether this will get me to Grandmaster or not I don't know, but I believe that it is possible, and I intend to try.

One thing for certain, you should definetly try! :)

I think the journey in itself might just be of value (like journeys tend to be)

Mysef, I haven't the same aspirations, for now I' working on reaching the whereabouts of a 1700+ ELO within a certain, in these forums unspecified time frame. Your blog and these posts are an inspiration, I think, keep up the good work :)

For anyone who says it is an impossible goal, that is a foolish statement.  For it is a possible goal for those who can achieve it.  No on knows what they can achieve until they have put their full strength into the pursuit.  To just dismiss anyone's attempt at the beginning as being impossible is sheer ignorance and is an example of the mentality of the sheep.  

Swimming is a sport, chess isnt. To be a elite sport (basket, football, swimming) your body have to be born to do it. Chess aint so.

I did say it's maybe possible putting 12+ hours a day into it. But since he's 21 (so I presume has a life outside of chess) and going to college that obviously can't happen. And I'm afraid those who believe it can be done at 21 with much less work are the ignorant ones.

Excellent blog.

Most people here are saying that you can't be a Grand Master if you are 21 without a Candidate Master title? 

I know nothing about what it takes to be a GM, but find it remarkable that someone so young, 21, who is already a Class A player, has no chance at all?  Amazing.

Most players going for GM who have a realistic chance would laugh at that "already a class A" comment.

Well sure. But the journey should be even better trying to chase something that's possible, no?

The mob?!