Too late for tournament chess?

I'm 18 years old and I only learned chess 5 months ago. I'm exceeding in it exceptionally well I believe but I'm not sure if it's just too late for me to start joining local tournaments. Idk where I compare on this site but on other sites I'm consistently around 1450. I've fell in love with chess but Idw to go to a tourney and get killed by people that have years of experience. What are your thoughts? How old were you when you started tournament chess?

thx
AEchess


Edit:
Also, how do ratings compare here, to USCF?

The only thing i've got goin right now is college. im on scholarship so i dont really have to work and my weekends are free. im not lookin to become world champ or anything, just to be able to go up to Oklahoma City every know and then and be able to compete with other players. I'm gonna find one and join it and see what happens. if i like it then ill stick with it, at least for awhile.

I played in my first USCF tournament when I was 35 (although I played in high school team matches decades earlier).

18 isn't too late for anything, although at 18 you often think it is.

If you enjoy it, go for it. As long as you continually make progress, who cares if anyone thinks that you're too old?

Originally posted by AEchess
I'm 18 years old and I only learned chess 5 months ago. I'm exceeding in it exceptionally well I believe but I'm not sure if it's just too late for me to start joining local tournaments. Idk where I compare on this site but on other sites I'm consistently around 1450. I've fell in love with chess but Idw to go to a tourney and get killed by people that have ...[text shortened]... tournament chess?

thx
AEchess


Edit:
Also, how do ratings compare here, to USCF?

Never to late. I joined when I was 21 and it was the best 2 years of my chess life, career.

Playing at a club in person is so great. There are always people there to help you out, keep you company, just to hang out and chat.

I saw my greatest improvement after joining a club. That's when chess starts to mean something. Online, you lose big deal. You lose in front of a crowd, something else. You want to improve yourself and be like everyone else there.

I started a year ago when I was 22... current OTB rating is 1419 (swedish national rating), although I play very few real tournament games.

It is never too late to start.. chess will be your friend for life =)

I started at 24, quite far from beeing at master level, but it is fun to play them once in a while 🙂

It is never too late to do something you like.

i see im not alone in starting alittle later. for a second there i thought i was the only 18 yr old prodigy. wew, glad to know there are other prodigies or else i would have been under a lot of pressure to succeed and that's just asking too much right now. thx for all the responses and ive decided that im gonna give it a go.

I played my first rated USCF tournament at the age of 16. It was scholastic and there were a bunch of 8-12 year olds there as well as the older players. I came out of that with an 800 rating (ouch) but it has since doubled.

Originally posted by AEchess
I'm 18 years old and I only learned chess 5 months ago. I'm exceeding in it exceptionally well I believe but I'm not sure if it's just too late for me to start joining local tournaments. Idk where I compare on this site but on other sites I'm consistently around 1450. I've fell in love with chess but Idw to go to a tourney and get killed by people that have ...[text shortened]... tournament chess?

thx
AEchess


Edit:
Also, how do ratings compare here, to USCF?

Its never too late.

and beating real jerks face to face is really great fun.

Of course it is not too often you get to beat up the jerks as most OTB players are decent fair minded types but the look on the face of the jerks who think they are great and never resign is overwhelmingly satisfying!

Of course usually they say afterwards "I outplayed you totally and it was only your one lucky move at the end that won it" and will never analyse the game when you knew you were ahead from move 3 and the last 12 moves were a brilliant forcing combination.

Hmm, it must be good feeling, I know that kind of "I was better then you, but you were lucky" attitude even after you beat him 100th time! I am 21 years old and would like to get to 2000 rating in the next five-six years. I don't think that is it late for you to be good in chess.
My problem is that at the moment I think I would be around 1450 at the OTB, so I feel that I would be the greatest moron in the chess club, so I don't have the courage yet to join club. (Not to speak about tournament!!) Is that wrong way to go? I think I have to learn some more before entering the chess club?

They have an IM trainer for kids in my town's club, but there isn't any course for adults :-(

Originally posted by AEchess
i see im not alone in starting alittle later. for a second there i thought i was the only 18 yr old prodigy. wew, glad to know there are other prodigies or else i would have been under a lot of pressure to succeed and that's just asking too much right now. thx for all the responses and ive decided that im gonna give it a go.

My first tmt. was the state junior championship as a 16 year old many, many years ago where I finished +1-2=2 and got a princely 1667 rating. Got my rating to a respectful level over the next several years then took a couple of long layoffs. The first one didn’t hurt too much, but after returning from the second, I’ve been working my way back down. The main thing is to have fun. I’ve seen too many players pushing to get their rating up or playing to win a little money, get frustrated & quit when they weren’t as successful as they hoped. Considering the amount of time, effort and expense it takes to play in a weekender, if you’re doing it for the money the payday isn’t very big. That said, it’s better than the crappy $5.00 trophies or book prizes we played for.

Originally posted by ivan2908
Hmm, it must be good feeling, I know that kind of "I was better then you, but you were lucky" attitude even after you beat him 100th time! I am 21 years old and would like to get to 2000 rating in the next five-six years. I don't think that is it late for you to be good in chess.
My problem is that at the moment I think I would be around 1450 at the OTB, y have an IM trainer for kids in my town's club, but there isn't any course for adults :-(

There is no way if you are 1450 OTB that you will be the greatest moron in the chess club.

Our club www.farehamchess.org.uk has about 20 members and at least half of them are graded below 1450 and are not interested in playing in competitions, league, tournaments, etc. Most of them don't care if they win or lose as long as they has a friendly game.

Join now. You won't regret it and can only improve. Very soon they will want you in a league team.