Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “If only I were younger, maybe I could’ve chased my dreams…”?
I never really bought into that idea — and I still don’t. Age doesn’t matter when it comes to passion and goals. Not in the way most people think.
Sure, if you’re aiming to be a world-class sprinter, your window might be tighter. But for chess? Your peak years are defined more by mindset and dedication than by youth.
So let’s dismantle one of the most persistent myths in chess: that the top players are born with something the rest of us lack.
This might be a semi-lazy article — not packed with stats or technical depth.But it gets the point across, and sometimes that’s all you need.
The Myth of Natural Talent
We toss around the word “talent” far too casually. When someone performs brilliantly, we often say, “They’re just naturally gifted.” But what does that even mean?
Sometimes we mean they have an innate ability. Other times, we just mean they’re really good. But in either case, the word glosses over the real story behind excellence: work, obsession, focus, and love for the craft.
Let’s talk about three of the best examples in chess today: Magnus Carlsen, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa (Pragg), and Dommaraju Gukesh.
Obsession Over Giftedness: Pragg and Gukesh
Do I think Pragg or Gukesh are naturally gifted?
No — not in the way most people think. What they are is obsessed. Chess isn’t a game to them — it’s a part of their identity. They think about it constantly, study it deeply, and return to it even after setbacks.
They started young, yes. But what really set them apart was how addicted they became to the process. That’s what we call “talent,” when really it’s just hard work that looks effortless because they love it.
Can most people match that intensity? Probably not. I study chess regularly, but I’m not consumed by it in the way they are. That’s the difference — not genetics.
If you told Gukesh he’d win his next tournament by studying 8 hours a day for 30 days straight, I believe he’d do it without hesitation.
Effortless Genius: The Magnus Carlsen Story
Magnus Carlsen seems like an exception, right? He picks up ideas quickly, dominates in rapid formats, and makes it all look easy.
For a long time, I assumed he was simply naturally gifted. But over time, I realized that wasn’t the full story. In a podcast with Joe Rogan, Magnus casually mentioned that even while they were talking, part of his mind was still thinking about a game he had played earlier that day. He also said something similar during an interview in London — and that level of mental engagement stuck with me.
He’s not sitting at a board for 8 hours grinding out positions. He’s not the type to study like that. But his relationship with chess is constant. He reads chess books — even basic ones — and says he finds value in all of them. He watches games, plays bullet and blitz online, and consumes chess in every way imaginable.
He’s always thinking about chess. Not because he’s forcing himself to — but because he’s wired to engage with it. That obsession, not some mythical talent, is what built his understanding of the game.
The Real Gift: Focus, Discipline, Resilience
Are Pragg, Gukesh, and Magnus gifted?
Yes — but not in some mystical, unachievable way.
They’re gifted in their discipline, their focus, and their resilience. At an age when most kids are distracted by everything around them, they locked in. When they lost games, they studied harder. When they hit walls, they kept going.
That’s not a talent. That’s a choice repeated thousands of times.
And that choice is available to all of us.
Final Thoughts: It’s Not Too Late. It Never Was.
You don’t need to be five years younger. You don’t need to be born with a chess gene.
What you need is the right kind of obsession — one driven by love for the game, not fear of failure. If you can build the discipline to study, reflect, and keep showing up, you can reach your goals.
Maybe not world #1 — but far beyond where you are now.
In upcoming articles, I’ll explore how anyone — whether you’re 18, 40, or even 60+ — can make meaningful progress in chess. I’ll break down the core tools for improvement, and how you can apply them at any age, without needing so-called natural talent.
Because in the end, talent isn’t the difference-maker. Obsession is. And obsession — the deep, consistent desire to get better — is something anyone can choose.
Relevant links
Joe Rogan podcast with Magnus Carlsen
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