How long does it takes to become a chess master

When someone tries something for the first time, be it video games, cooking or fishing, the first question that generally pops into their head is, “How long will it take me to become good at this?” Maybe its not the first thing that we think of, but almost.

Have you ever seen someone really good at their craft? Take for example Michael Jordan playing basketball, Kasparov pushing wood or Terence Tao working with numbers. Were they born with natural gifts? With tenancies that gave them an advantage? Maybe… But I wager that they worked their asses off to become masters of their craft.

I happened upon a fantastic article today by Kiewra Ph.D and O’Conner Ph.D. Their article (Developing Young Chess Masters: What are the Best Moves?) is an interesting look into the world of developing young chess masters. I encourage you to read it. It is a fascinating read. The authors point out highlights of development that enabled young minds to become Masters in chess.

I wont give much away in spoilers, because I want others to read it. However, it is nice to know that “masters are made not born.”