You and I have some interesting parallels. I am 67 and returned to chess a year and a half ago after leaving the game in the 1990s. My USCF rating was 1807, dropped a good bit when I started playing again, and has begun climbing back up.
I am also working on the Yusupov series and finished the second chapter of the second book yesterday. With hard work, it is a sure way to improvement. Whether it is suitable for your strength is ultimately up to you. The first level of books is supposedly geared to ELO 1600 and above, but if you are handling the material I would say to keep on with it.
I too have pondered the question of what limitations my age will place on my ability to improve. Of course, there's simply not enough time left for me to reach the levels that are possible for young folks. But I believe that as long as you can stay healthy you can continue to improve. In my last six tournament games, I have played the best chess of my life (thanks in large part to Yusupov), scoring +4-1=1 against players with an average rating higher than mine.
Compared to me, you're still young. Sure, time will place some limits on how far you can go, but you have a lot of great chess experiences ahead of you if you want them.
And the fact you are using Yusupov and it has helped you improve is very encouraging as well!
I’m coming back to a chess after a long hiatus. The last time I played tournament chess was back in 1991. I’m now nearing 60 and possible retirement.
I decided to get back into chess because I enjoy it, I’ll have the time, it will provide another social outlet, and it will exercise my mind.
I was a reasonable player compared to my peers back in high school (played second board), but didn’t really progress much from there. My rating is 1437 USCF. I was better at correspondence chess, USCF 1628. The longer the time control, the stronger I am. At blitz, I’m pathetic.
Like most players, I want to be better. I’m willing to do some work for that to happen.
I was looking around for structured study materials and of course, I came across Yusupov. However, there seemed to be a fair amount of disagreement about whether it was appropriate for people my strength or not. I decided to buy it and find out.
At this point, I’ve completed the first chapter and part of the second. What I can say at this point is that the first chapter was at a level I could and did handle. When I did the test at the end of the chapter, I got 15 of 16 points, which is rated excellent. Perhaps more importantly, I did learn things I did not know, and which I am already applying. It is a much more structured way to learn some of the patterns than just doing a bunch of tactics problems where you may or may not notice the patterns in common.
As an aside, I’m curious to see what kind of progress if any I can make at getting better. The conventional wisdom seems to be that older players are unlikely to progress much at all. I would have been much more prone to accept that idea except for a recent experience with music.
I have been a guitar player since high school. I’m decent at what I play but I have never been a very fast. I had accepted the idea that I was just limited in my abilities in that regards. A couple months ago, a friend sent me a youtube lesson on how to play faster. Now I have seen material on playing faster before. Use a metronome, increase the speed, etc. However, it didn’t particularly help. What was in that video clicked and made sense to me. I practiced what it said and I very rapidly increased my speed. This despite the fact I’m nearly 60, had tried before, etc.
Yusupov may be what makes chess click for me. Perhaps it will. Perhaps it won’t. But I’m interested to find out.
As for age, it might limit me. But I know if I don’t try to get better, I won’t.