What is a maximum rating an ordinary person can get?

From what I understand, if you start playing chess after you are 20, it is impossible to become a grandmaster.

Assuming you are not a genius, what rating is it possible for an ordinary person to get? Assume the person is around 25 or older.

Is it possible to get a title?

about 2400 I guess, ofcourse you can get a title

I'd be really interested in hearing the answer of very experienced coaches about this.

But "maximum" is difficult to know.

I suspect the averages are a good estimate. Most will end up around 1500-1600. For "maximum" I suppose you could leave your job and family and do nothing but chess and raise it a few hundred points.

It's funny that you say 2400. That used to be my opinion too :p

I think most people pick other numbers like 2200 or 2600.

That would be really nice if it were true!

Some people start young, have wealthy supportive parents, try for GM, but don't make it.

Look at the stats. I believe 2200 is already in the <1%

Well, anyway, I used to believe that too, so I suspect you won't believe me no matter what I say ;)

1500-1600 seems a bit low, but you qualify that with 'most will end up', so I probably agree. I have a more ambitious goal, but then I'm an optimist. 

To your later post, this (page 2) suggests 2200 is top 10%.

Leiph18

lol, if the reason is every time your level of play goes down it rises again to be more than before,if we assume you will continue like that for a long time ,why not be world champion??? in fact it's not like that but it's not the other way either,so as u see we shouldn't assume that it's impossible to achieve something,knowing that there is another side of things also

Everyone is different! You're right, I took the easy way out by saying most people end up around the average (well of course!) You may get a title.

As for the link to the chess.com forum, hicetnunc's post #28 explains a little bit of that. The one graph I did see on there noted the average was dropping. And since that topic is 2 years old now it's probably even lower today.

I would say exceptional memory is essential for getting anywhere near master level. I can read chess books two or three times but only remember a small part of it. A grandmaster would remember most, if not all of it, after one go, that's why they can remember so many openings! I would say from playing in a chess club any player could potentially reach 1800 with a lot of hard work, that's what I'm aiming for. After that I think you either need an amazing work ethic or lots of natural talent.

I don't believe just anyone can be a GM. I think you underestimate their strength by saying that. Wasn't there the famous story of the guy who dropped everything in his 20s for non stop chess study, and after a couple or three years only raised his ranking by a hundred points. Admittedly a big achievement but still a million miles away from becoming a GM

There was one blog where a guy worked really hard. It may be the one you're thinking of. I think he raised his rating a few hundred points and stopped at 1900 realizing he was near his limit.

This is very easy to determine. Here are the equations to calculate the maximum rating an ordinary person can get.

Yes that's the one! He realised he was wasting his life.

If you work hard and if you work in the correct way, then I would say anyone can reach 2100 - well, maybe not anyone, but let's say 4 people out of 5.

Depends upon your definition of "maximum" and "ordinary", I guess.  

There is a practical limit on the maximum theoritcal rating because with the best players in the world in the 2800 range, it is difficult to exceed those ratings even when you have a high win ercentage.  (I read that Bobby Fischer's rating acutally went down when he won the World Championship over Spassky because he was so much higher rated than him when the match began). 

Of course, few humans could get to those lofty levels.  I have been on threads like this that claim that you can be world champion if you train enough.  That is a fallacy.  Talent is a factor.  

So, you have to define ordinary.  It's like the stat that 95% of people will not score less than 100 in golf.  It is possible to do so, but not "ordinary".  I think you would be "extraordinary" to get over 2100-2200 (and this may be high). 

Sure. With Schrödinger's Equation. 

I think every person has a natural limit. That is why not all GMs become world champions. Not all IMs become GMs. I hope my present rating is not my limit lol xD.

Once an IM told me achieving his title was like finishing a college career. In principle within reach for anyone. Lasker and Tarrasch said anyone can achieve master level if correctly guided. I guess most of us could get a title dedicating many well spent hours from childhood, but no more.

It is perfectly possible to get to 2000+ . I am 22 just started playing chess about 9-10 months ago and I am just getting to 1600 without much effort or study. If someone works hard enough they can be a good chess player. Its 99% work 1% talent.

I will never be a GM because I always want to have some sort of life outside of chess. But I don't think even a highly motivated individual could be guaranteed to make it to grandmaster level unless they had bags of talent and memory. I think the upper echelon of club level is most people's limit. For instance despite having a rating in the 1600s on chess.com I am still in the top 94%, yet to an 1,800 player, never mind a master, I am classed a weakie, yet to my friends I am unbeatable. There are that many levels to chess!