Am I too old to get good at chess?

Hi Finnigan,

This bit.

"It is interesting that Chopin's father did not allow him to become a full time
child prodigy nor to play for money, like Mozart and others, "

Chopin? Don't you mean Chigorin and Mozart, is that Moroczy?
I never knew they were child prodigies.

Originally posted by isthislikecheckers
I'm nineteen and thinking about taking up chess seriously. I've know the rules since I was about seven but rarely played. I'm a quick learner and have a high IQ but I'm afraid I've waited too long. How young do you have to start to become a great player?

John Shaw was rated about 1700 when he was 19 and became a GM in his 30s. Just because the game is dominated by prodigies doesn't mean ancient people, like you, cannot become really strong players.