Chess improvement after 40?

New here 🙂
On the internet I maintain a chess rating of 1650
Can I expect improvement now that I just turned 40 years old?
I just bought an old book called "The art of chess" by James Mason
It is loaded with endgames and middlegame combinations and an outdated section on openings.
I will spend the rest of the year setting up the positions on my chess set and trying hard to solve and improve but can I expect any results?
It would be my first time studying chess ☹️

@chessbeer

I am no expert but perhaps it has to with how good you were when you were younger. How much did you not understand. I am 50 and am much better than I was at 40 but I started playing when I was 38.

I started in my early 20's and I was brutal.
I still make blunders on a consistent basis.
Can a 40 year old mind absorb chess to the point of playing at the 1800 level?

@chessbeer


Did you have an official rating?

I read 1800 was possible for anyone given enough work and coaching.

No just a 1650 average online against opponents ranging from 1500 to 2000.
I spend a couple minutes for each move like a real game.
I don't spend days on a move.
There isn't much chess where I am from and traveling to weekend tournaments to get an official rating is not financially economical.

@chessbeer said
New here 🙂
On the internet I maintain a chess rating of 1650
Can I expect improvement now that I just turned 40 years old?
I just bought an old book called "The art of chess" by James Mason
It is loaded with endgames and middlegame combinations and an outdated section on openings.
I will spend the rest of the year setting up the positions on my chess set and trying hard to solve and improve but can I expect any results?
It would be my first time studying chess ☹️

@chessbeer said
New here 🙂
On the internet I maintain a chess rating of 1650
Can I expect improvement now that I just turned 40 years old?
I just bought an old book called "The art of chess" by James Mason
It is loaded with endgames and middlegame combinations and an outdated section on openings.
I will spend the rest of the year setting up the positions on my chess set and trying hard to solve and improve but can I expect any results?
It would be my first time studying chess ☹️

@moonbus said
I'm 64, still learning, and stronger than I was when I was 17 and had a USCF rating of 1750. I'm not referring to my rating at RHP; I have played people OTB with current and valid ELO ratings and I'm definitely stronger now than when I was 17.

The day you stop learning is the day you start dying.

@mchill said
OMG - We're the same age.

The day you stop learning is the day you start dying. - One of my favorite sayings as well. 🙂

@moonbus said
See, there is life after 40 !

@chessbeer said
No just a 1650 average online against opponents ranging from 1500 to 2000.
I spend a couple minutes for each move like a real game.
I don't spend days on a move.
There isn't much chess where I am from and traveling to weekend tournaments to get an official rating is not financially economical.

@sonhouse said
Screw FORTY. What about EIGHTY?🙂

@eladar said
When I was 38 I got brutalized. My first chess thread had the title..Getting my butt kicked playing chess on line...my FICS rating got into the 600s. My goal was to be able to beat a 900.

Today I beat a 1650 on chess 24. He had me down then he got lazy.

@moonbus

Well perhaps it is just to understand the game better.

I don't know the answer to that....I played some in my teens...didn't play for decades, then got back into it in 1993 year after I quit drinking the year before. I joined a chess club and my over the board rating got up to 1669. It is not near that now, but have had some issues along the way which could be a factor in that. I never was one for studying much. Just have a couple of openings and a couple of defences that I use but have played many games with them. I love to experiment and try new things, have some fun with the game. I find it very relaxing playing chess.

-VR