I’ve always liked chess casually but never took it seriously. Now that I’m in my 30s, I’m thinking about diving deeper into the game. I’ve got a busy job, but evenings are usually free. Has anyone here started late and seen real improvement? Is it even worth trying to go beyond basic tactics and casual games?

I actually started training properly at 34, so you’re definitely not too late. The big shift for me came when I started weekly lessons with a chess coach grandmaster. At first, I thought it was overkill, but he knew exactly how to work with adult learners. We focused on patterns, game reviews, and understanding the logic behind openings instead of memorizing lines. What helped most was how he tied everything into practical play - not just theory. After a few months, I beat a guy rated 1800 in a tournament. Was it easy? No. But totally doable, especially if you treat it as a brain workout rather than some race for rating.

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