Do you know that you change as you age? Your whole being from top to bottom does. Everything does. Everyone does. It seems to me that each decade is different to the last and I am different. The extent of change depends on many things, most of all who you are, and so simplifying it here just won’t do. This is the fifth decade in which I have played chess but how, when, how often and what for are variables. I’ve got better as I get older because I become more efficient at unlearning all those things that hindered my progress in my youth. I enjoy more aspects of the beautiful game and am engaged in chess activity much more so than used to be.
I don’t think it gets harder as you get older although certain qualities, such as calculation and memorisation take a hit but not much of one. And certainly not anything to be worried about. And it doesn’t get harder because you have greater autonomy over your whole being, and so are less likely to make mistakes in terms of theory input.
When I was in my teens, I went wrong quite often by pressuring myself into decisions that weren’t thought through enough. But those mistakes don’t repeat themselves. I’m not led astray by a trend or a book or bad advice by a club member. Sometimes the past is best forgotten, and with regards to how I used to play when young, perhaps that time is now. We all make mistakes but I was knocked off centre all too often and never did quite find my feet. Depression most certainly did not help.
So here writes something of a free bird. No longer under pressure. Free to play whenever. I maintain that the fear factor commonly associated with growing old needn’t be anything to worry about, and with maturity its much easier to organise your time and work more effectively. Just perhaps when I hit my 60s I may think differently but the bottom line is I will find playing chess with old age much easier than playing chess in my youth -which was a bit of a mess.It’s always possible to go from not knowing what you are doing to knowing what you are doing as the wheel of time rolls on. Old age is only a nightmare to those who made it a nightmare. Or those who became less and less active throughout their life and end up like some beached whale.
I think I might have a couple of games.
McCreadyandChess 