Adult Chess Improver

There was a time in the not-so-distant past when the accepted reality was that no human could run a mile in under 4 minutes. Men had tried for years to break this barrier with no success. With a 100% failure rate, "experts" in the field started making excuses that a man just wasn't physically made to run that fast for that long. Most educated people accepted this conventional wisdom as fact and scoffed at anyone who tried to break this barrier.

Then in 1954, a man named Roger Bannister ran a mile in 3:59.4, accomplishing the impossible. What happened next is what is truly remarkable! Slightly over six weeks later, another runner broke the 4-minute mile, running even faster than Bannister! If we now fast forward to the present day, over 1400 athletes have accomplished the feat of the 4-minute mile!

In the field of chess, we have a similar barrier. Becoming a Grand Master chess player doesn't just happen unless you start at a very early age. Most "experts" say you need to start studying around the age of 5 or 6 to achieve that level of Grand Master, but definitely not after the age of 12. While the barrier is not as concrete as the 4-minute mile, as there are some Grand Masters that started later in their teens, there isn't a record of anyone starting in their thirties or forties and reaching the Grand Master level. (There is a record of several players getting their GM title later in life, but all of them had been experts and masters much earlier in life and just returned to the game of chess to get the title of GM later).

There are many theories on why amateurs don't become Grand Masters when taking up the game later in life. Some say we don't learn things as quickly when we are older. Others say our memories are not as strong when we get older. And still, others say that the responsibilities of adults, such as jobs, paying bills, and raising a family, take too much time, not leaving enough for the study necessary for reaching the GM level.

Has this stopped people from trying? Nope! And I feel we only need one equivalent to Roger Bannister to show us reaching the Grand Master title can be done, and it will open the flood gates to many more achieving the Grand Master rank in chess. It only takes one person to reach the Grand Master title to show the rest of us that it is possible!

I have chosen to take up this challenge! I acknowledge this is no small feat. Reaching the Grand Master title from a class B rating will take many years of study and many hours per week. It will be a road filled with obstacles and nay-sayers, and starting down this road in my late forties (today is my 49th birthday!) only makes the challenge more daunting. However, I don't travel this road alone! I am not the only adult improver who is chasing this elusive accomplishment. I say we band together and push each other until one of us gets the title. Once one person reaches this milestone, it will show the world it can be accomplished and open the floodgates for more to 'reach for the stars!'

I have some assets in my favor. First, I have played tournament chess off and on for many years with some successes. I have had a peak rating of just over 1800 with the USCF and almost 1700 rated with FIDE. I am semi-retired, so I have the time necessary for studying all aspects of the game. I have a GM coach, GM Rogilio Barcenill Jr., who believes in me and my ability to improve my game enough to earn the GM title myself. I have mentors in GM Avetik Grigoryan and GM Hovhannes Gabuzyan of ChessMood who believe in me and help me keep my mood and mind right for the tasks at hand. Most importantly, I have a wife who understands my passion and is the biggest cheerleader in my quest for the improbable.

Even if I am not the one to accomplish this feat, I hope to at least inspire others to join me on this journey and encourage the ones who do! I wake every morning excited to get to work because I know I am fulfilling my purpose in life. We stand at the foot of a mountain and together we can get someone to the top. Who is going to join me? Is it you?

Jay
Feb 7, 2022