You can Be A Master If You Want It Bad Enough

I study as few as 10 and as many as 25 hours in a week depending on my mood, schedule, etc.

The content varies depending on what I feel needs work.  So it may inlude working on specific openings since I recently retooled my repertoire, working on endings which I have been doing a lot, analyzing my own games, and playing over annotated GM games.  I also work on tactics daily, although I feel that lately I have not been doing so enough.

Using these methods I have gained 300 points in three years and my rating is now 1800 (USCF).  I am now 40 years old so I know that you can improve greatly as an adult.

I write a daily blog about what I do to improve here: http://www.chessiq.com/blog/ and in addition, those in the US who subscribe to Chess Life can see my feature article in the January issue starting on page 28.

My plan from here to 2200 is to just keep doing the same thing.  To keep working on my own games, tactics, endings, some opening work, etc.  I will play over thousands of games over the next few years.  I play over perhaps 800-1000 annotated games per year as is...I believe they help me as much if not more than anything else.

As far as I can tell there is no secret to getting better at chess.  The answer is just to work hard and to make sure to stick with it.  I base this not only from my own experience, but also from talking to many strong players who have all told me pretty much the same.

I have had serious conversations about improving with a dozen or so masters, along with a handful of FM's/IM's/GM's in the three years since I started playing chess again and they have all pretty much told me that the "secret" is hard work as well.

Let me be clear in stating that I understand that not everyone can dedicate this much time to chess.  I choose to give a significant portion of my time to chess, which comes as a result of not watching too much TV combined with the fact that I am fortunate in that I can get away with only five or six hours of sleep per night.

So I understand that not everyone has this same luxury.  Having said that, anyone who wants to improve can find the time.  You might have to give up some other things in your life, but that's the choice that you make.  If you want it, you do it.  If not, then that's OK too...

You are certainly welcome.  And thank you very much!

It is a shame that one may not get a job due to stereotypes. 

Some employers ask about things unrelated to the job but even then I would be hesitant to add much at all. I've heard about people being passed over because their choice in sports/teams clashed with the owner.

HolyFlame777 wrote:

no!  bobby was an athletic stud, when asked in an interview what he would do if he were not a chess player he replied   "i'd be playing sports or something like that'   Unless u are blind u will see Bobby was a magnificent looking man, and a world class brain too.  why wouldnt barbara love a young Bobby?  why not huh Joe why not?

LadyM - These are superficial values. Barbara would have dropped Bobby after one date, saying something like, "I wouldn't want to get between you and your love relationship with your ego."

That said, I am a big fan of Bobby's games, especially his "My 60 Most Memorable Games".

I believe Lasker was quoted as saying he could turn any average chess player into a Master strength player. I think the greater challenge is going into that very rare Grandmaster level.

ChrisWainscott wrote:

I agree that anyone who wants it bad enough can have it.

 ... and that is why I work extremely hard on chess.  I fully intend to make 2200.

LadyM - I'm happy being a 1750 player.

sheeesh  u guys are like the mount Rushmore folk

                   My Ghostess Lola;   You sound like all artist, musicians, and actors when they've reached a point in their carears that they love, in which there's  NO MONEY. I know it well. Wheather it is nobler to listen to your heart, or to follow your walet. And there's the rub. Till we meet again my love!  

                  That might of been true when he was younger, but he didn't take care of himself when he got older.  He wasn't a magnificient looking man. He was about average. Tall and lanky. Women swoone over Steve MaQueen, Paul Newman, George Clooney, Tom Cruise. I don't look at guys but I would guess that Arnold Swazzenagger, Lou Ferringno, Hulk Hogan, or Sylvester Stallone looks more manly.

I've a blog which recently featured a variety of misadventures along the way to 2200.  Perhaps in the end hard work does win out, but don't expect overnight success - if it were that easy the game wouldn't be interesting.

true

I'm enjoying your blog!

If the overnight success thing is pointed in my direction I can assure you that I don't believe that's the case.  It's taken three years for 300 rating point.  I don't even expect to go that fast for the next 400 to NM.  Maybe 1900 this year and 2000 next, but beyond that my guess is that the progress will slow.  Either way I'll make it.

RonaldJosephCote wrote:

                  That might of been true when he was younger, but he didn't take care of himself when he got older.  He wasn't a magnificient looking man. He was about average. Tall and lanky. Women swoone over Steve MaQueen, Paul Newman, George Clooney, Tom Cruise. I don't look at guys but I would guess that Arnold Swazzenagger, Lou Ferringno, Hulk Hogan, or Sylvester Stallone looks more manly.

LadyM: Generally speaking, when a man looks at a pretty woman, he is thinking, "She's pretty." Meanwhile, when a woman sees a manly man, she is thinking, "Does he think I'm pretty?"

This is generally and Barbara Streisand certainly could have been an exception to the rule. She was exceptional in many ways.

              Barbara Streinsand did go to school with Bobby, and said she had a crush on him, but she's much better off with her present husband.

RonaldJosephCote wrote:

              Barbara Streinsand did go to school with Bobby, and said she had a crush on him, but she's much better off with her present husband.

LadyM: I would think her present husband is well off being married to her ... besides, Bobby is dead. Anyone is better off with a live husband than a corpse.

I got to be a master it wasnt too hard all i had to do was read eco and boomtown done, next

               James Brollin---  I knew it would come to me!

James Brolin? Okay, trade off between her and James, but James and a corpse? No contest.