Wasn't picking on IM Martin. It was based on IM Silman's article, months back.
How easy is it to become a GM?
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Dec 29, 2016
0
#323
Many dominant casual chess players are clueless of the difference between strong coffee house players and seasoned tournament players. What to speak of NM, FM, IM and the best of all, the GMs. In my early teens, Im invincible in casual or coffee house chess without even reading a book or solving puzzles. Reality struck me when I playedca chess hustler. And when I play my 1st tournament, only 2 points out of 7 rounds. 1 point from a bye.
Feb 7, 2017
0
#324
Note that there are thousands of International Masters who make their livings from chess, who have taught and studied chess many hours per for decades who will never be Grandmasters.
Starting young is a major advantage. Personally, I wanted to be a chemist since the age of 12. I ended up with a graduate school scholarship to IIT, graduated, eventually became chief chemist of process development research for a subsidiary of Dow Chemical and later lead teacher of gifted and talented chemistry and physics classes in Maryland's largest high school. I'm the equivalent of, at least, an International Master of Chemistry.
But, despite a high IQ and extreme confidence in my intelligence and creativity, I started into other things too late in life for my brain to get wired the way it is for chemistry.
Later in life I studied piano, chess, creative writing and it's a struggle just to be competent - I studied classical piano for six years in the adult program of the World Class Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University under a world-renowned pianist. I can play ok while reading sheet music, but I'll never reach levels of the twelve year-olds in the kids program who've been taking piano for six years.
Personally, I was a 1295 rated chess player when I was younger -very weak on tactics- and returned to the game looking for a mental challenge to keep me sharp at age 66. If I reach 1600 OTB I'll be thrilled.
Feb 7, 2017
0
#325
"Beekeeper Bob" has been toying with the idea of making chess a career for himself.
Haha
What a stupid joke.
He's probably also been toying with the idea of becoming a professional race car driver after winning gold medals at the Olympics in swimming.
Haha
What a stupid joke.
He's probably also been toying with the idea of becoming a professional race car driver after winning gold medals at the Olympics in swimming.
Hello Vlad91 my dream is the same as yours I started to play chess at 16 now i'm 27 and going on to 28 it's not impossible to become a 2000+ player I believe live with today's technology and maybe a chess GM but becoming a 2000 player is more realist if you break down your goal into small parts like I have thou I have redefined goal a bit and realies that a chess GM could just be a to far for me but playing chess at a better level each new year than the previous years is achiveble thou that also take a lot of hard work.
in modern time everyone can be a GM ! Practise everyday on this site I am sure in 2 weeks you will be a GM ! A good man!
or a goofey man
or a guity man for this post!
I thought so...
Still going strong this thread.
Apr 1, 2017
0
#332
I think Easy was the wrong word to put in this thread, maybe you should have wrote, How hard is it to become a GM, and I would have said from my knowledge incredibly hard.
MitSud wrote:
I think Easy was the wrong word to put in this thread, maybe you should have wrote, How hard is it to become a GM, and I would have said from my knowledge incredibly hard.
How easy? How hard? Tomato Potato
hahaha
VladimirHerceg91 wrote:
I am 25 and just started playing chess. How hard was it for you guys to become Grandmasters?
I'm hoping that in a few years time I can be grandmaster if I put in about 5 hours a day of preparation. That's almost 10,000 hours. 9125 to be exact (5*365*5). From what I know, becoming a grandmaster used to be hard, but now it's easy because of computers. That's why there is so many grandmasters nowadays. So if you guys could tell me how you became grandmasters I would appreciate it. Please discuss study time, preparation, how long it took you, diet, etc.
Thanks guys
As much as I would like to think that adults with no experience can make a jump to GM, it simply is nearly scientifically impossible. This is, in fact, because of the science behind the brains of children vs. adults. It has been scientifically proven that children have more learning potential than adults. They can jump rating levels in a way which adults cannot follow. You can't keep insulting the people that have already said what I am saying now with the words, "I think your case is a lack of commitment, and passion for the game." They, and I, are only trying to save you a lot of time and effort towards a goal which is impossible to reach. That being said, don't try to stop playing chess and trying to improve. Just don't put too much hope in something which will just disappoint you years from now.
Apr 15, 2017
0
#337
There's 600 million chess players but only 1541 are GMs at last count, so 1/389,358 would be the odds...close to impossible looks like the answer.
The general population don't have the talent required to reach high ratings. The ratings they achieve is mostly through hard work - basically studying like crazy.
To answer your question: I would say it's possible, but improbable. Unless you've Morphy or Fischer's talent and are willing to put in the work, I don't think you can become GM just by studying.
I think a day will come where the average post will be:
"I'm 25, and have been playing chess for 2 weeks. I want to become a GM. I play nothing but bullet, and have the attention span of a goldfish. How long will it take to make GM?"
This would've tickled the ribs of IM Andrew Martin.
Why just pick on Andrew? Is it because he speaks Estuary English?