Can I 1800 become a GM or is it to late?

[matt_ward]

Hi all,

I have now been playing chess exactly 4 years now, I am now more determined than ever to try succeed to reach GM status.


The problem was I had a bad year in the British and that cost me a bad fide of 1669, in less than 7 months I have got it to about 1800, which might not seem much but because I work full time I've not had enough to boost it more than this.

I feel my standard of play is about 2100 at the moment, I hope this year I will hit 170 plus in standard and rapidplay; I aim this year after the New grades (ECF) are out I will be aiming high to reach 190 for the following 2012-2013 years.

I am also potentially starting coaching, and possibly will be getting seconded at the Gatwick and British.

Matt.

The Question is......

Can I become GM or is it to late?

[Geoff Chandler]

Hi Matt

It is never too late.

I'm getting my title when I win the World Senior Championship.
You get a GM title on the spot for winning.

None of this messing about getting norms nonsense.
One tournament 1 GM title.

You have to be over 60 to qualify and in 29 days I'm there.
I have been preparing for this one tournament for 45 years!

[Jonathan Bryant]

... possibly will be getting seconded at the Gatwick and British.

Having a coach (less grandly: a friend who also plays chess) can be a great help with various aspects of preparation for a game/tournament. I had one for the Sunningdale tournament just finished and found it invaluable.

[Alex Holowczak]

I had one for the Sunningdale tournament just finished and found it invaluable.

Well, you could put a price of £300 on it.

[Roger de Coverly]

Having a coach (less grandly: a friend who also plays chess) can be a great help with various aspects of preparation for a game/tournament. I had one for the Sunningdale tournament just finished and found it invaluable.

Having played through the games, Jonathan's opponents did seem to show a remarkable talent for self destruction. If the opponents fail to equalise with Black, lose the initiative with White, fall for tactics or exchange incorrectly, it can be difficult to avoid beating them, although in many tournaments we often return the favour.

[Jonathan Bryant]

Having a coach (less grandly: a friend who also plays chess) can be a great help with various aspects of preparation for a game/tournament. I had one for the Sunningdale tournament just finished and found it invaluable.

Having played through the games, Jonathan's opponents did seem to show a remarkable talent for self destruction.

I feel I had more input into winning the tournament than your post implies Roger.

[Jonathan Bryant]

I had one for the Sunningdale tournament just finished and found it invaluable.

Well, you could put a price of £300 on it.

You and the aforementioned second might very well say that Alex. Fortunately for my bank balance, a percentage deal was not negotiated.

[Roger de Coverly]

I feel I had more input into winning the tournament than your post implies Roger.

The heavy piece ending in Round 6 arising from the .. Ne4 Dutch should have been equal for white although it did take some analysis with Rybka to pinpoint where it started to go wrong. (I think the opening was discussed on the Streatham blog some while back)

Against Peter Tart in round 4, aren't you busted if he doesn't play Nxf7 getting his queen trapped?

[Christopher Kreuzer]

I feel I had more input into winning the tournament than your post implies Roger.

The heavy piece ending in Round 6 arising from the .. Ne4 Dutch should have been equal for white although it did take some analysis with Rybka to pinpoint where it started to go wrong. (I think the opening was discussed on the Streatham blog some while back)

Against Peter Tart in round 4, aren't you busted if he doesn't play Nxf7 getting his queen trapped?

Are you angling to replace whoever was Jonathan's "second"?

If not, can you analyse my games for me??

EDIT: PS. Wrong thread. You should be analysing Matt's games!

[Jonathan Bryant]

Against Peter Tart in round 4, aren't you busted if he doesn't play Nxf7 getting his queen trapped?

Yes indeed. I certainly benefited from a slice of luck at that moment, but - and I'll be writing about this on the blog when I get back from my holiday - it wasn't just luck. There's more to say about the rook and queen ending too and, yes that line of the Dutch has been discussed on the blog in the past as you say.

I have no intention of getting involved in a big row about this, but my experience was very much not that I just had to turn up and sit in a chair for three and a half hours.

[Jonathan Bryant]

Are you angling to replace whoever was Jonathan's "second"?

It was Tom Chivers - good friend, clubmate, fellow blogger, groom at a wedding at which I was best man (a laughable term that) - and first rate chess coach.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

I have no intention of getting involved in a big row about this, but my experience was very much not that I just had to turn up and sit in a chair for three and a half hours.

Funnily enough, that is all my round 1 opponent had to do (just sit there, as I managed to somehow lose on time!). As you played him in round 2 (the 9-year-old whose grade I can't figure out in relation to his playing strength), that may have helped slightly as well. I was trying to tell myself all weekend that losing on time in round 1 was a subconscious strategy to get 6/6 and end on 6/7, but missing a win in round 5 messed that up. The last day was awful, as I've said before. 9 hours of slaving away with Black in both games, for a measly half a point. Well, it could have been worse, actually.

Do you think that, psychologically, having won all your games, gave you an edge over your opponents from round 5 onwards? If you are going to cover this in the blog, don't worry about it, but the thought just occurred to me.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Can I become GM or is it to late?

(Guiltily trying to get the thread back on topic)

I don't think it is too late to become a GM, but it will take lots of hard work and with your aim to get to 190 it will take 5-10 years at that rate. That is 5-10 years of hard work and immersion in chess. One thing I can say is that I wouldn't recommend Geoff's approach, as you will have to wait a long time that way! Have you considered aiming lower, though, at something like IM? Or do you think aiming high is needed to get as far as possible?

[IM Jack Rudd]

The easiest way to do this would be to run a rating scam to get a lot of people on the list with ludicrously inflated ratings, and then invite them and yourself to an all-play-all tournament.

I make no comment on the ethics of doing such a thing.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

The easiest way to do this would be to run a rating scam to get a lot of people on the list with ludicrously inflated ratings, and then invite them and yourself to an all-play-all tournament.

I make no comment on the ethics of doing such a thing.

Did this actually happen in the past in some other countries? Or is it dodgy to mention names here?