How “narrow” is it safe to get, when playing the same opponents (many young and industrious) over and over?
But then I’d have to be old and industrious.
You’ve identified a real problem. Against A players, I might score better with some random Sicilian than the Giuoco Pianissimo. But this experience might give me better chances to hold the Pianissimo against stronger players.
For the experience to be optimal, it’s better if the lower rated player knows what he’s doing, has some experience with the line and has cracked the books a bit. But that means you’re playing to his strength. Even though I’ve recently been burned by doing just that, I still think you’re right if you’re looking for improvement down the road. But the short run can be painful.
Finished reading each and every post on this thread and enjoyed it immensely! How about a separate forum for Seniors? (Just kidding)
Upon reading this, “So, significant improvement but not all the way back.” by Hal Terrie, I thought of one of my favorite lines from Bob Dylan’s latter period:
Well, the emptiness is endless, cold as the clay
You can always come back, but you can’t come back all the way
From the song Mississippi by Bob Dylan (from the disc ‘Love and Theft’)
tmagchesspgh wrote, “There is no reason why you cannot regain your old form.” This is silly. Unfortunately, there is EVERY reason why you cannot regain your old form. A statistical analysis of those who have attempted a comback after a long layoff will prove the point, unfortunately.
The fact is that if a returning player expects to recapture glory he will be sadly disappointed. It is not going to happen. Anomalies such as Viktor Korchnoi, or locally (USA), Erik Karklins, are continually mentioned to ‘prove’ an older player can compete with the younger ones. Ain’t gonna happen! The two players mentioned did not stop playing chess and then come back, but continued playing. Even Viktor has succumbed to the ravages of time.
If memory serves (and that’s the thing about growing older, the memory is not what it used to be…), GM Nilolai Krogius wrote in his book Psychology in Chess that oftentimes an older player, after a decline, will have a very good result, or results, flaring up light a light-bulb before it goes out.
tmagchesspgh wrote, “As you get older the stamina you have for a game diminishes.”
Truer words have never been spoken! The cumulative effect over a long weekend takes a toll on Seniors. If you do not agree, go to any weekend tournament and watch the older players, and/or review any crosstable and take note of the results of the Seniors.
MikeMurray wrote, “…I can usually get in a short nap or rest between games.”
Before the last round of the 2009 South Carolina Senior a picture was taken of all the players, all except me, as I had fallen asleep in my car! One is not prepared for growing older in the respect that now a wave of fatigue rolls over one like a tsunami. Sir Winston Churchill suggested a nap after being awake eight hours… He said one should take off his clothes and get into bed, but not for longer than half an hour. That way it is like having two days. It served him well during WWII. At my age it is imperative that I be able to rest between rounds. The thought of cramming a burger bigger down my gullet and getting back to the board to begin the next round is abhorrent. Smythe Dakota wrote, “I think the important thing when you’re getting older is to concentrate on having fun playing in tournaments.” Without rest that is simply not possible for me now. I am reminded, though, of a line from a Jackson Browne song (Stay) the Legendary Georgia Ironman, Tim Brookshear, likes to quote: “The only time that seems too short is the time that we get to play.”
Which brings me to the point of this post. After dropping out of chess to play backgammon because there was much more money in the latter game, I returned to the chess arena and asked Ron Burnett, now an IM, what I needed to do to regain my old form. “Play,” he said. I do not recall a lot of talk about the importance of playing upon a comeback attempt, but playing is the most important thing a Senior can do. You play a game of chess and you analyze it, learning from your mistakes, and hopefully,not making the same mistake again. If you think about it, that is the way of life. One grows older and reflects upon the past, trying not to repeat the mistakes made in the past. And not just play, but play for the love of the game.
jakethecat wrote, “Why devote a couple hours commuting to weekend tournaments for the opportunity to spend Saturday night at a bedbug-riddled hotel in order to play four, eight or twelve hours of chess against children without manners?”
One of my opponents in the recent LOTS told me he was thankful he was paired with me, a fellow Senior, in lieu of another “high-energy” child. He went on to say it was nice to face someone close to his own age for a change. Jakethecat goes on to write, “I gave up tournament chess in favor of more sociable pursuits and have never been happier.” I cannot help but wonder whether Jake would have given up on chess if there were more Senior tournaments and he had more opportunities to play those closer to his age.
The South leads the nation in Senior tournaments with the Great states of Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Texas holding a state Senior. As posted on the NCCA forum, I recently received an email from an old friend, Rex Blalock, who has moved back to the states from Portugal. He is living in LA, that’s Lower Alabama 
, residing in Enterprise, Alabama. Rex reports, " I am pushing for a seniors event in Alabama as well and the first one may be held in Dothan since we have 6 active senior players in our club!"
I would like to see this thread used as a catalyst for more Senior tournaments. Gary Newsom, President of the NCCA, said during a discussion of a possible Senior tournament in NC, that he would like to see a Southern Senior.
I would like to see at least four regional Senior tournaments, with the winners meeting in, say, the wonderful St Louis Chess Club, for a playoff to determine the US Senior champion!
It is time for Senior USCF members to come together, right now, over Senior chess!
I will end this with the immortal words of Arlo Guthrie from Alice’s Restaurant:
“You know, if one person, just one person does it they may think he’s really sick and they won’t take him. And if two people, two people do it, in harmony, they may think they’re both faggots and they won’t take either of them. And three people do it, three, can you imagine, three people walking in singin a bar of Alice’s Restaurant and walking out. They may think it’s an organization. And can you, can you imagine fifty people a day, I said fifty people a day walking in singin a bar of Alice’s Restaurant and walking out. And friends they may thinks it’s a movement.”
If you are a Senior ask yourself, “What can I do to make this a movement?”
Finished reading each and every post on this thread and enjoyed it immensely! How about a separate forum for Seniors? (Just kidding)
Upon reading this, “So, significant improvement but not all the way back.” by Hal Terrie, I thought of one of my favorite lines from Bob Dylan’s latter period:
Well, the emptiness is endless, cold as the clay
You can always come back, but you can’t come back all the way
From the song Mississippi by Bob Dylan (from the disc ‘Love and Theft’)
tmagchesspgh wrote, “There is no reason why you cannot regain your old form.” This is silly. Unfortunately, there is EVERY reason why you cannot regain your old form. A statistical analysis of those who have attempted a comback after a long layoff will prove the point, unfortunately.
The fact is that if a returning player expects to recapture glory he will be sadly disappointed. It is not going to happen. Anomalies such as Viktor Korchnoi, or locally (USA), Erik Karklins, are continually mentioned to ‘prove’ an older player can compete with the younger ones. Ain’t gonna happen! The two players mentioned did not stop playing chess and then come back, but continued playing. Even Viktor has succumbed to the ravages of time.
If memory serves (and that’s the thing about growing older, the memory is not what it used to be…), GM Nilolai Krogius wrote in his book Psychology in Chess that oftentimes an older player, after a decline, will have a very good result, or results, flaring up light a light-bulb before it goes out.
tmagchesspgh wrote, “As you get older the stamina you have for a game diminishes.”
Truer words have never been spoken! The cumulative effect over a long weekend takes a toll on Seniors. If you do not agree, go to any weekend tournament and watch the older players, and/or review any crosstable and take note of the results of the Seniors.
MikeMurray wrote, “…I can usually get in a short nap or rest between games.”
Before the last round of the 2009 South Carolina Senior a picture was taken of all the players, all except me, as I had fallen asleep in my car! One is not prepared for growing older in the respect that now a wave of fatigue rolls over one like a tsunami. Sir Winston Churchill suggested a nap after being awake eight hours… He said one should take off his clothes and get into bed, but not for longer than half an hour. That way it is like having two days. It served him well during WWII. At my age it is imperative that I be able to rest between rounds. The thought of cramming a burger bigger down my gullet and getting back to the board to begin the next round is abhorrent. Smythe Dakota wrote, “I think the important thing when you’re getting older is to concentrate on having fun playing in tournaments.” Without rest that is simply not possible for me now. I am reminded, though, of a line from a Jackson Browne song (Stay) the Legendary Georgia Ironman, Tim Brookshear, likes to quote: “The only time that seems too short is the time that we get to play.”
Which brings me to the point of this post. After dropping out of chess to play backgammon because there was much more money in the latter game, I returned to the chess arena and asked Ron Burnett, now an IM, what I needed to do to regain my old form. “Play,” he said. I do not recall a lot of talk about the importance of playing upon a comeback attempt, but playing is the most important thing a Senior can do. You play a game of chess and you analyze it, learning from your mistakes, and hopefully,not making the same mistake again. If you think about it, that is the way of life. One grows older and reflects upon the past, trying not to repeat the mistakes made in the past. And not just play, but play for the love of the game.
jakethecat wrote, “Why devote a couple hours commuting to weekend tournaments for the opportunity to spend Saturday night at a bedbug-riddled hotel in order to play four, eight or twelve hours of chess against children without manners?”
One of my opponents in the recent LOTS told me he was thankful he was paired with me, a fellow Senior, in lieu of another “high-energy” child. He went on to say it was nice to face someone close to his own age for a change. Jakethecat goes on to write, “I gave up tournament chess in favor of more sociable pursuits and have never been happier.” I cannot help but wonder whether Jake would have given up on chess if there were more Senior tournaments and he had more opportunities to play those closer to his age.
The South leads the nation in Senior tournaments with the Great states of Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Texas holding a state Senior. As posted on the NCCA forum, I recently received an email from an old friend, Rex Blalock, who has moved back to the states from Portugal. He is living in LA, that’s Lower Alabama , residing in Enterprise, Alabama. Rex reports, " I am pushing for a seniors event in Alabama as well and the first one may be held in Dothan since we have 6 active senior players in our club!"
I would like to see this thread used as a catalyst for more Senior tournaments. Gary Newsom, President of the NCCA, said during a discussion of a possible Senior tournament in NC, that he would like to see a Southern Senior.
I would like to see at least four regional Senior tournaments, with the winners meeting in, say, the wonderful St Louis Chess Club, for a playoff to determine the US Senior champion!
It is time for Senior USCF members to come together, right now, over Senior chess!
I will end this with the immortal words of Arlo Guthrie from Alice’s Restaurant:
“You know, if one person, just one person does it they may think he’s really sick and they won’t take him. And if two people, two people do it, in harmony, they may think they’re both faggots and they won’t take either of them. And three people do it, three, can you imagine, three people walking in singin a bar of Alice’s Restaurant and walking out. They may think it’s an organization. And can you, can you imagine fifty people a day, I said fifty people a day walking in singin a bar of Alice’s Restaurant and walking out. And friends they may thinks it’s a movement.”
If you are a Senior ask yourself, “What can I do to make this a movement?”
Maybe we should have a bunch of senior championships at the local / state / regional level, not just the US Senior.
A senior tour? Can we use analog clocks and write our moves down first, preferably using a quill and papyrus? 
Pennsylvania has a senior championship, sponsored by the estate of a law professor who was an avid player and a strong one to boot.
Since juniors have championships on a number of levels, Bill’s suggestion is very good. The over 50 crowd, which includes me, would probably enjoy it; it has just not been widely done.
As for a senior tour, golf and tennis have such a tour. A senior chess tour would have a lot stronger overall play than those tours. Might even be marketable.
You have to paint yours on the wall of a cave.
Well, I could see one tournament experimenting with the idea of pairing a senior tournament with a “Turn-back-the-clock” concept, just as major league baseball has had success staging a “Turn-back-the-clock Day” game (as well as amateur vintage baseball games played in doubleknit wool uniforms and tiny gloves). E.g.,
- Variant announced: Analog clock (working order) given preference over digital;
- Monrois not permitted; Descriptive notation encouraged.
- Prize for vintage outfit. I have numerous caps of team logos/names of long ago; other players no doubt have decades-old concert T-shirts.
- If there are an odd number of rounds, colors may be assigned by “Toss”.
Old tournament features that need not be continued (just Vintage baseball games generally do not permit an out to be registered by throwing at the baserunner):
- Pairings and tiebreak calculations may be done by computer;
- Smoking not permitted (in any case, it’s not permitted in many hotels’ meeting rooms).
I have recently moved back to the US after living in Portugal for 14 years . I will be 59 this year . I would like very much to see a seniors event in every state , I dont think one seniors event a year is too much to ask for. If enough states had such an event then a regional seniors event may come from that as well … the Southern Seniors Championship has a nice ring to it doesnt it ? I also think that having something for seniors might draw a few seniors back into competitive chess . This would benefit chess imo .
Everyone have to wear a jacket and tie? (Probably a very thin one?)
…and fistfights at the board over smoking habits…ah, the good old days!
Ah, yes. The sounds of analog clocks in sync and then getting out of sync. TICK TICK TICK TICK ticka ticka ticka ticka TICK TICK TICK TICK.
wbport wrote about analog clocks in sync etc. That type of thing really did happen and was quite amazing. I played in the National Open in the early '90s and several hundred clocks in sync, out of sync and back in sync was loud enough to get your attention. It’s probably better to leave that one in the past.
arthur holmer
Nowadays, though, you might hear only ONE analog clock in the tournament room. Its ticking can be more annoying than was a roomful of them, which tended to fade into the background as white noise.
Bill Smythe
This thread has taken a bizarre turn but OK. I think there should be a reunion tournament at the McAlpin Hotel in NY for everyone who played there in the early 70’s. Analog clocks, 3 rounds/day and no pre-round speeches by tournament directors (but that’s a whole different topic for discussion). Maybe we can get a 20-something Walter Browne to show up.
Can you also get a 20-something version of me as well? 
I spent the first part of 1971 at Ft. Monmoth NJ and got up to NYC several times. Check the globe —>
How about giving away certificates for the early bird dinner at the local cafeteria as a door prize. Oh, and also play episodes of Matlock and Murder She Wrote continuously for the enjoyment of the participants.
Seriously, though, I like the idea of a senior tournament and I think I will work on making one happen here in North Carolina.
One way to “get back to former strength” is to study games played by fellow Seniors. There are some excellent articles on the nwchess.com website from past issues of the Northwest Chess magazine. Click on Northwest Chess magazine back issues and skroll down to the January 2011 issue for a report on the World Senior Championships by Michael Schemm, who had an outstanding tournament and wrote a fine report. The September 2011 issue contains an article on the “Oregon Senior Championship” by Frank Niro, and “Oregon Senior Games” by Steven Deeth.