How to Learn Chess at 50: Improving Every Day
Learning chess is an exercise in patient progress. I’ve been working at it for over two months with all the diligence I can muster. I’m finally seeing the results in my understanding and my games. If you’ve been thinking about taking up chess, but worry it’s “too late,” read on for the inspiration to start your own chess journey!
Reviewing the premise: My name is Rebecka Ratcliffe. My previous articles, "How to Learn Chess at 50: Getting Started" and "How to Learn Chess at 50: Learning the Basics," will introduce you to my attempt to learn (and relearn) chess from the board up. I hope you enjoy my honest, light-hearted recounting of a chess journey taken a bit later than most.
What I’ve Been Doing to Learn Chess
Practicing (almost) daily with online games, puzzles, and lessons. My puzzles are getting more complicated, and the simple ones seem easier now. Reading about the foundations of chess has given me a deeper perspective on the “why” behind certain chess studies. I’m beginning to learn tactics and recognize them when played. I’ve found that it’s less important to plod along a specific path than to practice (anything) regularly.
Visualizing the board. One tip on how to learn chess from "Chess for the Gifted and Busy" by Lev Alburt and Al Lawrence was to spend a few quiet moments every day visualizing the board and practicing chess notation until the system becomes second nature. This is great advice! I can tell that my grasp of notation is improving, and it’s a stepping stone to visualizing patterns of play. One thing I like about this is its simplicity. I don’t need any electronics or other materials to keep learning.
Playing chess matches against my husband. While this shouldn’t be billed as the match of the century, he’s been playing and studying chess for many years longer than I have. One of the benefits of playing against a live opponent is the opportunity to discuss chess tactics as the game progresses. It’s also a more relaxed pace, as we’re not using a clock. Last night, I made a blunder that he graciously let me take back, and I went on to win that game.
Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay
Great Advice for Older Players
I spent some time over the past few weeks researching advice specific to older chess players, and I came up with some interesting tips. How to learn chess most effectively can look slightly different as we age.
Play slow. The current chess zeitgeist is heavily skewed toward rapid chess, and most online venues default to time controls of 10 minutes or less. Unfortunately, time pressure often forces beginners into blunders they might have avoided. Games also end with losses due to time, all too frequently. Playing slowly is much better for learning, as you can consider all the possible moves and evaluate not only the move you made, but the reasons other moves would be less desirable. You can play slowly online using the correspondence option or play a longer game with a friend.
Don’t try to master too much at once. There’s so much information available in various forms, making it easy to become overwhelmed when trying to take it all in. Older players will benefit more from focusing on a narrower area of study and mastering it before moving on. For example, learn and practice a handful of related openings rather than consuming everything you can find about openings.
Exercise regularly and get enough sleep. You may be thinking everyone should do this anyway, but it’s especially important if you are trying to develop new cognitive skills. The American College of Sports Medicine reports that even light to moderate exercise reduces cognitive decline by 35%. It can even stimulate the production of new neurons! As for sleep, getting an adequate amount of rest can be a real challenge—but it has real benefits for focus and memory.
Caffeinate! This is probably my favorite bit of advice, because I am entirely too serious about my coffee (like all Pacific Northwesterners). Having a cup of coffee or tea before playing chess or a study session can help your focus and stamina. It’s also a great pleasure to sit down with your favorite caffeinated beverage and a chess match.
Evaluating My Chess Training Plan
One of the reasons I haven’t learned to play before is that keeping track of all those pieces and possibilities was too much to be enjoyable. I would overlook something and lose quickly. I’m finding regular puzzle solving to be the…ahem…solution. It’s really helping my pattern recognition to drill on specific situations. I’ll keep doing puzzles in spare moments while I’m waiting for school pickup or trying to avoid overconsuming the news.
Playing with a real human has been more fun than playing online. I’ll continue doing both, but playing online can be frustrating due to the time constraints. The one benefit of online play is the analysis provided by the computer, so I don’t want to abandon it. I’ll also experiment with bots to gain additional insights into games. I’ll be excited when the after-game analysis shows zero blunders.
Progress Toward My Goals
I can win online against the amateur rated bots! This is very heartening, as I’m still struggling to win against a human chess player online. The main issue I’m having with online play is time control. This is progress of a sort, as I’m not losing quickly, but I’d like to lose less regardless of reason. My online rating continues to swim around the bottom of the pool, but we’re not talking about that. Nope.
I’m gaining more confidence. I can often recognize when I’ve found the best move, and I can see a blunder right after I’ve made it. My study is enabling me to see patterns and plan several moves ahead. I’m also using simple strategies to draw out my opponent’s pieces, even if they have mixed results. I can hold more of the board in my mind while playing and move more quickly.
Photo By: Kaboompics.com for Pexels
Coming Up Next:
Over the next few weeks, I’ll continue to learn more about chess using the tools I have. I’ll be playing more online to see if I can crack that time pressure. Finding my “goal club” for a visit and a game is another task. I’ll also practice hand-written chess notation for at least one game.
In the fourth installment of this series, I’ll tell you how it’s going and share the best way to find a local club in your area. All leading up to the fifth and last post, my foray into chess club play!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes and no. It is easier to learn chess as a child when your brain is still forming. Many children pick it up easily and progress quickly, according to their interest level. There’s no way to match that natural advantage. Learning the basic rules will be similar. However, an older person may have more time and resources for their chess study. You also have the advantage of patience! Older beginners are more likely to stick with it, as well, as the choice to learn is a deliberate one. Truly a case where age and wisdom will benefit you.
You can definitely become a good chess player as an older beginner. Be patient with your progress, practice regularly, and celebrate your achievements as you improve. It’s unlikely that you’ll be a grandmaster if you pick up a pawn for the first time at 50, but you could be winning chess matches before you know it with regular practice and study. Taking up chess at any age will provide cognitive benefits and social opportunities, and you’ll improve as you go!
Chess is a great hobby at any age. Chess is one activity recommended to improve and maintain cognitive function and focus. Playing and studying chess is a terrific way to replace doomscrolling or other unhealthy media habits. If you’d like to meet new people, chess clubs are easy to find and eager to welcome new members. Chess is inexpensive and portable, requiring minimal equipment and space. It’s the perfect intellectual pursuit, whether you play online, with friends, or compete.