To Become A Master!?!?!?!

Can anyone offer any more study programs?

 "It sounds weird to boast but after just learning about the game I played with my Chess team in high school and at one time regularly defeated guys who were 1500-1600 after only about three years of study."

Beating 1500-1600 players after 3 years of playing is actually quite normal as this rating level is rather low, so you should not be boasting about this.

Clearly a combination of study, playing all sorts of games (OTB, online, etc.) and natural ability are necessary to complete your goal. You just have to put your time in and hope that you have the ability.

I only learned to play when I was a Freshman in HS that was what I was hinting at. Sorry I didn't know that was normal. I was one of those guys who didn't know then names of all the pieces as a Freshman

Perhaps "normal" was not the correct verbage.

However, the climb up the ratings scale is a negative exponential function. That is, the difference between 1600 and 1800 is not equal to the difference in ability of an 1800 to 2000 and so on.

Therefore, one can expect to rise rather quickly, relatively speaking, and then have to grind out subsequent equal rating increases.

Just my opinion as a wood pusher trying to get better myself.

Spraggett has some advice on the topic (becoming a master level chess player):

http://www.kevinspraggett.com/reflecti.htm

Stats_man makes a very relevant point. I believe Wetzell made the same point, but in a different way, in his book: Chess Master at Any Age.

He likened pouring the knowledge of chess into a vase with an ever-widening neck at the top. As you try to fill the vase with water ... err, chess knowledge and skill ... it evaporates at an ever-increasing rate, meaning that the work to keep the vase full gets more arduous as the vase fills. In other words, bringing one's skill level to Class C and keeping it there is much less difficult than bringing it to Master class.

However, Wetzell is an example of someone who did just that ... and at a relatively advanced age (> 50! -- very few become masters only at that late age, it would seem ... probably for a variety of good reasons).

Good luck in your (ad)venture.

How long does it usually take for your rating to peak?

maverick62289> All day in these forums I've seen people saying "You need a gift" or "He's a genius". I'm a kind of self made man myself (went to the Army after hs got my degrees, served my country, all that jazz) and believe in the concept that if you put in the effort you'll get the results.

Effort can take you a long way, and most do not reach their potential. But you must recognize not everyone is cut out to be a green beret, an F-14 pilot, or commander of US forces in Iraq. It's believed that a person of average talent and intelligence will peak somewhere between 2000 and 2300. They will not make Grandmaster.

maverick62289> I am committed to become 2000+

Realistic enough. :)

LBEASTO> How long does it usually take for your rating to peak?

6-10 years, assuming you play 3-8 games/month and study 1-2 hours/day. These are the results of recent surveys of FIDE (1800+) players.

maverick62289> Can anyone offer me a decent study program to go from okay class player to good class player to expert? Or is this even possible?

Why don't you post your current USCF rating and one or two recent USCF games? Then we could gauge what you're good and bad at and provide better suggestions. People who "guess" at their rating usually guess too high and so don't study the right things.

I disagree..

Regardless though, I included the right body size in natural talent.

I personally am working through this list of books

http://www.amazon.com/cant-punch-people-chess-instead/lm/R3UHUKQDRLGGG2

and supplementing it with play against Fritz 6 at 2000+ ELO and work with the Convekta programs Ct-art and Strategy. 2009 marked the start of my five year quest to reach Master in the USCF. I will let you all know how it goes.

to become a master?   i heard something like this     ( in the tournament a guy played in a master during that he lose the game to a master and said "your not a master said the you just waiting me to make an error" ,and the master said if that the way to be a master then wait ,and you know how long to wait to be a master.

Thank  you likesforest. Unfortunately I haven't rejoin USCF yet, just chess.com but I peaked at somewhere around 1645 after playing for like two and a half years. I would appreciate any more input guys...the suggestions have been great so far!!!!

Any news on your progress? What have you done so far and how is it going?

I believe you can be anything you set your mind to. If you work hard, read as much info as you can get you hands on, and study many hours a day, you can reach your goal. It will not be easy, though.

Not likely. GMs spend many hours every day studying--I highly doubt most members on this site study half as much.

If money isn't a factor, check out the courses by Dvoretsky & Yusopov. They are top notch. Improve your endgame, both with middle game mates and your understanding of simplifications into won endgames- this will make all other decisions easier because they will all be aimed at the same place, rather than haphazard tactics. Improve your tactics with puzzles (4 moves or more) and tactics trainers- but always have them timed. Finally, study positions for a considerable length of time, so you are able to see all variations clearly and quickly ;>)

Apologies if someone has mentioned this before, but Lasker mentioned that anyone of average intelligence should be able to master chess in five years. If I can find the book where he mentions that (and shows the study plan) then I will post again.

As far as reaching GM or not, the limiting factor here in the US is not necessarily talent, but ablility to get frequent exposure to strong competition and norms. At some point, there will be a great deal of travel involved (unless you are not hung up on the FIDE norms/titles, in which case - nevermind !)

I like the things other have mentioned in this thread, and would like to suggest looking into GM Kraal - gaining GM at age 42 by bootstrapping, playing in the German Bundesliga, and owning some big US tourneys after that...

I have been looking in to all kinds of things as well, and will post some interesting links when I get back (gotta eat, shop, play chess lol !)

 I believe 2000 is reachable by anyone who puts in the work. An hr or so a day 5 days a week should get u there in 5-10 years. Make a plan and stick to it. 2000 is way diffrent then ppl saying him reaching GM which would be 2500 and 3 gm norms.  If you have talent maybe closer to 5 years, with hard work but little talent closer to 10 years hehe

  The problem will be really sticken to the training. Chess is a individual game. So the training is all on you pretty much. Right down your goals and write down a plan. Break it down on a calendar or something, and stick it were you see it each day.

 Alot of us want that also, but just dont put in the time. Or we kid ourselves that it cant be done. In this day and age of computers it is 10000x easier then it was just 10 years ago. Just look at the amount of GMs and IMs in the world today compared to 10 years ago.

Even Kasparov said it himself. In this age of computers the average age of a gm went from 35 to like 20. Its so much easier and faster to get your rating high if you work at it in this day and age.

I also am aiming for a 2k rating in 10 years. I have just returned to chess after a 12 year lay off. Will be doing my first cpl of OTB tourneys in April if I can swing it.

 How my training breaks down at the moment                                                   Monday-

openings 30-45 minutes( figure I am lower rated so openings are not as important as knowing how to play. I have 1 white opening and a defense for e4, d4. keeping it simple for now)

30-45 minutes on tactics emrald.

1 game in G/20 on a live server

tuesday

30-45 minutes on tactics emrald

30-45 minutes on Silman's complete endgame course.

1 G/20 on a chess server

weds

30-45 minutes on tactics emrald

30-45 minutes on a tactics book right now its. Heismans back to basics

1 G/20

thurs

30-45 minutes on tactics emrald

30-45 minutes on silmans endgame course

1 G/20

fri

off- i dont touch chess at all to alow my mind to rest. Being 36 I really need this break. If i keep going day after day. I start getting sloppy and not caring as much. I also will use it from time to time to go to the local chess club who holds a friday tourney G/25 3 rnds

sat

chess games. My goal is to use this day to go to local quads or tourneys. The friday off will alow my mind to be fresh for when I go. IF I go to the friday tourney, this would be a day off. IF no local tourney, I will play 2-3 games on a live server. then look over my games for mistakes. The games will be at least G/20 so I dont have to rush to much. Then I load them into fritz and have it make fun of me. I do this for my weekday games also

Sunday

Off or a second day of a bigger local tourney.

So my training is broke down into 5 days on 2 off for the most part. Now it isnt 30-45 minutes all at once of training. I have 4 kids and a wife. So it might be 10-15 minutes on the server. Go make lunch, come back later type deal. The same with book studys. But I try to hit a minimum of those numbers. There are days I go alot longer if I am feeling it. But I dont push it. I dont want to make chess a chore.

Once I hit 1500. I plan on getting a chess coach, and have a few in mind, depending on the price range my wife will let me spend hehe. I figure if I cant get my old butt to 1500 on my own. There is a problem.

 Also have Silmans Am mind, and reassess your chess. Which I will add to my training in another cpl of months.

I also will keep a game or 2 going here. To give me slower time frames to play by.

You never know what the future holds, but this is my plan.

How I give my rating goals

year one, whatever i end up with is what i have. I dont want any pressure the first year. Just get use to playing and training.

Then i hope to be 1200 sometime in year 2. Then to gain a minimum of 100 points a year till I hit 1500. I give myself 4 years to reach 1500. which I think is doable.

At that point I will get a chess coach, which would be when i turn 40. As long as I see a climb each year at that point. It doesnt matter if it takes me another 10 years to reach 2k.

 If it becomes to much work I will stop tho. I am at an age, were I want a hobby to enjoy, and maybe from time to time get a trophy or some cash. The greatness of chess is. Its one of the few sports that no matter what your level you can have a chance to win something. 

Your goals seems reasonable. Please stick to the study plan only if you're happy with it : chess is supposed to be a hobby, not full-time work

And if you can add some analysis of your games with stronger players (not only Fritz), I'm sure it would help tremendously !

 However he did say that if one worked really hard they can become very good but not great. He said many players had little or no talent but that some worked like dogs to get better. He never did say what good was whether that be gm or any other sort of master if any.