I’m 43 years old, and recently I started learning chess as an adult. Most people assume that if you want to get good at something like chess, you have to start early — as a kid, competing in school, growing your ELO with years of practice.
Well, that wasn’t my story.
A Missing Piece
I always admired chess from afar. The quiet intensity, the discipline, the endless patterns. But for most of my life, I thought chess wasn’t “for me.” I wasn’t a prodigy. I didn’t memorize openings. I didn’t even know the names of some pieces until embarrassingly late.
But then something shifted.
During a quiet evening not long ago, I found myself watching a chess game online — just a casual match between two players on YouTube. I couldn’t believe how deep, how precise, and how emotional every move could be.
It wasn’t just a game. It was a language.
And I wanted to learn to speak it.
Learning Chess from Zero
I downloaded a chess app, played my first few games, and lost — badly.
But it didn’t matter. Something clicked. I started watching tutorials. Solving puzzles. Learning names like the Queen’s Gambit, the Sicilian Defense, and the dreaded Scholar’s Mate.
Before I knew it, I was checking my ELO every day.
At one point, I reached 735 — not much by competitive standards, but it felt like Everest to me.
Today, I’ve dropped to 650.
It hurts a bit to admit that. But that’s why I’m writing this blog — to track that very journey. The ups. The downs. The “how did I miss that bishop?” moments. The blunders. The breakthroughs.
Why I Keep Learning Chess at 43
I play because I want to learn.
I play because it humbles me.
And I play because, even at 43, it feels like I’m discovering a new part of myself — one square at a time.
This blog is my personal notebook, but also an invitation.
If you’ve ever wondered if it’s “too late” to learn something challenging, I hope my journey shows you it’s not.
It’s never too late to become a better thinker.
Or to move your pawn… all the way to the queen.
♛ Thanks for reading.
I’ll be posting regularly here at PawnToQueen.blog — sharing my games, mistakes, insights, and everything in between. See you in the next post.
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