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Getting better at age 60?

#11

Better? I try not to become any worse...

Better? I try not to become any worse...
#12

I think you should definitely try to get better, while having fun doing so.

From what I can tell , the way age has an impact on your chess is very different for everyone. I know you're only 60 but let's zoom some years forward. I know elderly people who still play at the same level as in their 40's, while other elderly people have dropped over 500 rating compared to their 40's.

The only way to find out how your brain will deal with chess, is to try it out. And the good thing is that in order to keep your brain in shape, it doesn't matter at what level you play.

I think you should definitely try to get better, while having fun doing so. From what I can tell , the way age has an impact on your chess is very different for everyone. I know you're only 60 but let's zoom some years forward. I know elderly people who still play at the same level as in their 40's, while other elderly people have dropped over 500 rating compared to their 40's. The only way to find out how your brain will deal with chess, is to try it out. And the good thing is that in order to keep your brain in shape, it doesn't matter at what level you play.
#13

Well, if you have fun playing chess, fun solving puzzles, fun looking at games and able not to destroy your enviroment when you play stupid blunders - why not improve? Of course, getting older means you have not that powerful memory that you took for granted during your youth - but experinence in life, better understanding about your own abilitys are a bit of compensation.

Chess has no age, it is fun for kids and old farts.

Well, if you have fun playing chess, fun solving puzzles, fun looking at games and able not to destroy your enviroment when you play stupid blunders - why not improve? Of course, getting older means you have not that powerful memory that you took for granted during your youth - but experinence in life, better understanding about your own abilitys are a bit of compensation. Chess has no age, it is fun for kids and old farts.
#14

Seeing in expert profiles "better than 95%" can definitely make us feel like becoming an expert is a long shot. One thing is for sure, it does not predict anyone's potential. Your personal odds of increasing your rating will depend on many things like who you play against, how much effort you put in, how well you learn, the time you dedicate, and even when you started playing chess.

Age isn't the be-all and end-all things. The younger generations "might sometimes" pick things up faster, a motivated older gen with a solid plan and good learning habits can make progress and see their chess rating increase. Mine has just increased simply by applying my self in the latest Marathon. But I don't feel I learned anything new. So the potential was there to increase the rating.

Sometimes it's not about learning something brand new, but about applying what you already know in a focused and structured way. Chess isn’t just about learning tactics or new openings. It’s about "refining" your decision-making, pattern recognition, and overall strategy. Use what you already know and refine it. That's what I think.

Seeing in expert profiles "better than 95%" can definitely make us feel like becoming an expert is a long shot. One thing is for sure, it does not predict anyone's potential. Your personal odds of increasing your rating will depend on many things like who you play against, how much effort you put in, how well you learn, the time you dedicate, and even when you started playing chess. Age isn't the be-all and end-all things. The younger generations "might sometimes" pick things up faster, a motivated older gen with a solid plan and good learning habits can make progress and see their chess rating increase. Mine has just increased simply by applying my self in the latest Marathon. But I don't feel I learned anything new. So the potential was there to increase the rating. Sometimes it's not about learning something brand new, but about applying what you already know in a focused and structured way. Chess isn’t just about learning tactics or new openings. It’s about "refining" your decision-making, pattern recognition, and overall strategy. Use what you already know and refine it. That's what I think.
#15

I'm 69 and want to get back to tournament chess. Due to the economic, judicial and political chaos here I'm working for another year or two. When I do retire, I'll be asking
"Is improvement possible after 70?''
My job is one of those that I can only do by, essentially, "thinking about it all the time." This means chess is not happening in a serious way until I finally retire.
My real goal is to slow my (chess and mental) decline. I also want to keep my speed up in the mental loop:
perceive => evaluate => decide
because in summers I am still a whitewater kayaker and that loop is useful for not getting hurt or killed.
.
I find improvement in some aspects is always possible. Going to the local club and playing some informal blitz games while BS ing is always fun. Plus it gives my wife 1 evening /week to watch shows like Bridgerton without feeling like she's torturing me.
.
So far, I can say that my understanding of chess middle game play continues to improve with study.
My memory of opening variations continues to decline (but I'm still not playing the London at least!).
My endgame play improves slowly with lots of study and analysis of endgames I play.
My ''fighting spirit'' is low compared to when I was 20 and every game felt like life or death. This is of great influence in practical results.
One issue is biological clock:
As an older person, I am sleepy in the evening when most club events are held and alert in the morning when nothing happens (because they are scheduled by younger people whose clock is generically the opposite).
I can also get mentally tired: I see this in after-game analysis when I stop my analysis of a critical position too soon and just pick a move. It is too easy to move on general ideas when I'm mentally tired.
.
In blitz, I'm still OK at 5+0 but at 4+0 for example, I'll lose almost every game. I expect the critical time control will slowly increase as I age.
I'm also enjoying playing 3 day/move games online as these let me analyze deeply when I;m mentally fresh.
.
That's my experience so far. I also was told by my PCP that her patients have a 100% mortality rate. So I expect everything with a beginning will have an end some time. I plan to enjoy what I can along the way.
Bill

I'm 69 and want to get back to tournament chess. Due to the economic, judicial and political chaos here I'm working for another year or two. When I do retire, I'll be asking "Is improvement possible after 70?'' My job is one of those that I can only do by, essentially, "thinking about it all the time." This means chess is not happening in a serious way until I finally retire. My real goal is to slow my (chess and mental) decline. I also want to keep my speed up in the mental loop: perceive => evaluate => decide because in summers I am still a whitewater kayaker and that loop is useful for not getting hurt or killed. . I find improvement in some aspects is always possible. Going to the local club and playing some informal blitz games while BS ing is always fun. Plus it gives my wife 1 evening /week to watch shows like Bridgerton without feeling like she's torturing me. . So far, I can say that my understanding of chess middle game play continues to improve with study. My memory of opening variations continues to decline (but I'm still not playing the London at least!). My endgame play improves slowly with lots of study and analysis of endgames I play. My ''fighting spirit'' is low compared to when I was 20 and every game felt like life or death. This is of great influence in practical results. One issue is biological clock: As an older person, I am sleepy in the evening when most club events are held and alert in the morning when nothing happens (because they are scheduled by younger people whose clock is generically the opposite). I can also get mentally tired: I see this in after-game analysis when I stop my analysis of a critical position too soon and just pick a move. It is too easy to move on general ideas when I'm mentally tired. . In blitz, I'm still OK at 5+0 but at 4+0 for example, I'll lose almost every game. I expect the critical time control will slowly increase as I age. I'm also enjoying playing 3 day/move games online as these let me analyze deeply when I;m mentally fresh. . That's my experience so far. I also was told by my PCP that her patients have a 100% mortality rate. So I expect everything with a beginning will have an end some time. I plan to enjoy what I can along the way. Bill
#16

Thank you for all your replies, definitely encouraging!

I asked for the possibility of improvement because

  • I am essentially starting fresh. I am very aware of my physical and mental decline, but that does not initially show itself when picking up new stuff! (One good reason to not stop trying out new things as one gets older...)
  • my experience is that improvements in a field (even if it is only slight and gradual) makes it more enjoyable as you peel back another layer and discover more depth. I have had that happen with mathematics, software development, learning languages and many other things. I don't want to improve out of ambition; it's having more fun what I am looking for.
    Improving my rating or getting good compared to other players isn't the goal.

So my take-away is

  • stick to games with longer time limit
  • check out the maja bots to get over nervousness
  • find some literature that is not too diagram heavy but explains concepts in words. Any suggestions?

Again, thanks for the encouragement and relatable stories. This is a great community. I am glad I found lichess early on!

Thank you for all your replies, definitely encouraging! I asked for the possibility of improvement because - I am essentially starting fresh. I am very aware of my physical and mental decline, but that does not initially show itself when picking up new stuff! (One good reason to not stop trying out new things as one gets older...) - my experience is that improvements in a field (even if it is only slight and gradual) makes it more enjoyable as you peel back another layer and discover more depth. I have had that happen with mathematics, software development, learning languages and many other things. I don't want to improve out of ambition; it's having more fun what I am looking for. Improving my rating or getting good compared to other players isn't the goal. So my take-away is - stick to games with longer time limit - check out the maja bots to get over nervousness - find some literature that is not too diagram heavy but explains concepts in words. Any suggestions? Again, thanks for the encouragement and relatable stories. This is a great community. I am glad I found lichess early on!
#18

People here are very ancient, like fossils, because I am gonna be 11 this year.

People here are very ancient, like fossils, because I am gonna be 11 this year.
#19

@Atharv911 said in #18:

People here are very ancient, like fossils, because I am gonna be 11 this year.

Just remember, all of us "fossils" were your age once. If you're lucky, you too will be a fossil some day. And believe me, it will happen faster than you would ever think possible!

@Atharv911 said in #18: > People here are very ancient, like fossils, because I am gonna be 11 this year. Just remember, all of us "fossils" were your age once. If you're lucky, you too will be a fossil some day. And believe me, it will happen faster than you would ever think possible!
#20
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