Why Kids and Adults Improve at Chess Differently

Before we begin, I would immediately like to draw your attention to the title of the article. Notice that it does not sound something like “Why Kids Improve at Chess Faster Than Adults” or “Why It Is Harder for Adults Than Kids to Progress in Chess.” I chose this title not at all because I do not want to offend my adult students and readers. I sincerely believe that both kids and adults are capable of improving at chess. It is simply that these two categories have different approaches. And also different advantages and, just as importantly, different problems that lie hidden on their path. In this article, I, Grandmaster chess coach Valery Filippov, will try to reveal this topic in as much detail as possible and give useful recommendations on chess improvement both to adult chess players and to kids, or at least to their parents.

Kids’ Strengths

First of all, let us talk about kids and how they come to chess. Everything is quite simple here. Either a kid was taught to play by someone from the family, or there was a chess club near his home and, out of curiosity, he asked his parents to sign him up there (my case). Many kids start playing chess at the age of 6–7. Some later. But even if a kid comes to chess at the age of 14, this is still that period when there are practically no problems and worries in his life, and he can devote all his free time to chess. I have had many students who even during school classes played, and still play, online chess. For example, one of the strongest chess grandmasters of our time, the controversial Hans Niemann, admitted that at school, during chess lessons, he solved puzzles, and this interested him much more than the lessons.

Besides everything else, kids have one more huge advantage: an enormous chess infrastructure that is almost completely oriented toward kids. It is very easy for a kid to join a club, and in almost all cities and in all countries it will be easy for him to find a chess tournament. And therefore it will be easier for him to progress.

And of course, I cannot ignore the fact that statistically kids perceive and study new information better. Their brains are in good shape, largely because they are constantly working in the mode of learning something new, whether at school or outside it.

Also, many chess coaches are more willing to take kids as students, dreaming that their young chess student will grow up, one day become a champion, and bring glory to the coach. I understand this approach, but I don’t welcome it. As for me, in my chess student base there are more adult students than kids, because very often in our private chess lessons I myself learn something new from them and learn something.

Kids’ Weaknesses

And now I suggest looking at the situation from the other side. I will tell you about those problems that my chess kid students, and not only mine, face.

And the first thing I would like to note is the lack of awareness. More precisely, it exists, but at times it is not enough. I will give an example. I had a student who, at the age of 11, had already reached a USCF rating of 2250. And I am sure that if he had continued training the way he had trained before, he would quite soon have become a grandmaster. But the period of his childhood fell on those years when online multiplayer games began to develop rapidly. They swallowed him whole, and he began to treat chess less seriously. As a result, in the near future he gave up chess.

Did he understand what prospects could have been waiting for him? I think yes. But it was precisely awareness and “adultness” that he lacked at that moment, in order not to give in to temptation and make the right choice. As a result, at the age of 19 he decided to return to chess, but he quickly realized that after such a long break his skills had dropped, and now he had to put in three times more effort to return to his former level and continue improving.

I sincerely hope that one day he will still manage to do this, or at least find himself in something else. The case of my student is by no means unique. Believe me, over many years of chess training I have seen all kinds of things – even how kids who were champions of their countries in their age groups left chess for one reason or another, reasons that in adulthood seemed funny to them years later.

And in the age of modern technologies, it is especially hard for kids to keep focus on one thing. There are games, there is YouTube, TikTok, and a million other things. One phone notification that comes at the wrong time can distract a kid and postpone chess training until the next day.

An additional problem for kids can sometimes be their parents. Yes, it is sad to admit, but I cannot fail to mention it. Parents, those who should be on the kid’s side, sometimes act against him. And here there are hundreds of different scenarios; of course, I will not be able to list them all. But believe me, one could write a whole book about this, one that in thickness would be approximately the same as László Polgár’s puzzle book – and by the way, it has over 1000 pages.

Here I will name only the most common reasons that I and my kid students have faced:

1. Excessive pressure and criticism for failures. This is the fastest and most effective way to break a kid.
2. The desire to make a Julius Caesar out of the kid, who must at the same time be able to play chess, know five languages, be successful at school in all subjects, and of course do physical sports.
3. A complete lack of support. Alas, sometimes I have heard phrases from parents addressed to kids such as: “Why do you even need this chess?”, “Chess will not put food on the table,” and so on.

I covered this topic in more detail in this article: “Link”

So, as you can see, it can also be difficult for a kid chess player. I say this every time when I hear from my adult student something like: “If only I were a kid now, I would have so much time and no worries. And then I would definitely achieve everything I want in chess.” To this I usually answer jokingly: “If you were a kid now, then most likely you would be playing Fortnite around the clock or watching TikTok.”

Adults’ Strengths

And now, finally, the time has come to move on to adult chess students. And you will be surprised how many strengths and potential are hidden in them.

First of all, let us start with awareness – the main weakness of kids. An adult student is capable of clearly setting a goal for himself and following it. Yes, not everyone can do this, but almost everyone is capable of learning it. Kids, in 95% of cases, will never even ask themselves such a question.

Most often they study chess as long as they like it. But if a problem arises on the path, or the training process stops bringing pleasure, they are more likely to leave chess than to change something. An adult, on the other hand, can ask himself questions such as: “Why have I started training less? How can I change this?” or “How can I learn even more effectively?”

With the right approach, an adult has more chances not to quit chess than a kid. After all, an adult student, as a rule, has a job and therefore some free money with which he can hire a chess coach. And believe me, he will under no circumstances tolerate a coach he does not like, or even more so one who behaves rudely toward the student. He will simply change the coach.

Can a kid do the same? In general, yes, but often the opposite happens: the kid endures, negativity accumulates, and as a result, love for chess disappears.

Adults’ Weaknesses

And the first thing I want to start with is lack of self-confidence. I think this is not only about chess. In almost any sport there is an unwritten rule: if you want to become a professional, start in early childhood.

Can you name any popular sport where an adult student can come from zero and achieve success? Maybe football or basketball? And what about rugby or baseball?

But often the limitations of adults are caused by health and physical condition. At 35, we cannot run as fast as at 18. Probably, one can take up tennis at 30 and practice it intensely for 10 years. But at 40, even the great Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are practically ending their professional careers.

In chess, everything is different. It is a mental sport, not a physical one. Even at 45, one can be in magnificent form.

It is also worth seriously talking about what success means for you. Yes, if you start at 30, you will no longer become world champion. But in a few years of systematic training, you can reach 2000 on Chess.com or even try your hand at OTB chess and aim for a title. But because of constant comparison with kids, adults often give up and think that they came to chess too late.

Another problem of adults that I cannot fail to mention is adult worries. Family, kids, work. From my own experience, I know how much free time this takes. And this is the number-one reason why an adult student undoubtedly loses to a kid. But despite this, if you find one free hour a day, you will be able to progress and achieve certain results. Believe me.

I recommend checking out my article where I explain how I help adult chess students improve their skills.

In an Ideal World, Who Is Better: a Kid or an Adult

Here I will give an unequivocal answer: the kid. And he will win first of all because of time.

Here is what the ideal picture for a kid looks like:

1. The kid fully understands why he studies chess, and he is motivated.
2. The kid was lucky with his parents, and they give him maximum support and positive motivation.
3. The kid was doubly lucky with his parents, and in addition to all this, they earn good money and can provide him with a top chess coach, as well as take him to open tournaments.
4. The final point. The kid has had talent for chess since childhood and possesses all the necessary abilities.

If all four points are present, then the kid chess player has hit the jackpot and can quite possibly claim a place in the world top 10 or even the title of world champion.

And now let us look at the ideal picture for an adult who came to chess, for example, at the age of 35.

1. The adult student, just like the kid, understands why he studies chess, is motivated, and is ready to train 4–5 hours a day.
2. The financial issue has long been settled, and he has a lot of free time.
3. There is no family and kids yet, or all of this is handled with the help of a nanny, cook, secretary, and so on.

With such an ideal picture of the world, an  adult can quite possibly become a grandmaster . I am not joking; I am saying this absolutely seriously. But I will also honestly answer that he will most likely no longer be able to become world champion, or even get into the top 100. This would require much more time, and however you look at it, after 50 brain activity decreases.

Final Thoughts

So we have reached the most important difference between an adult chess player and a kid. It is time. Not talent, not some super-fast perception of information, but precisely time.

After all, between an adult student and a kid there is usually a difference of 20–25 years. And in an ideal world, a lot can be achieved during this time. But in practice, everything happens differently. Kids often quit chess, sometimes even without any special reason, because of a lack of awareness, while adults quit because they do not believe in themselves and their abilities and think that “their train has already left the station.”
Therefore, to my adult students and readers, I want to wish:

And to kids I want to say:

♟ Article prepared by Grandmaster and chess coach Valery Filippov ♟

FAQ

Can adults still become strong at chess if they start late?
Yes, of course! I can say with full responsibility that if you start at the age of, for example, 35, you can grow to the title of National Master or FIDE Master. The main thing is the right approach and constant training.

Why do many talented kids quit chess?
The problem of talented people, and kids included, is that they are used to everything coming easy to them. But in every activity or sport there comes a moment when talent alone is not enough. You need to start putting in real effort. And this becomes an impossible barrier for those who are not used to working hard, especially for kids.

What is the biggest advantage adults have in chess improvement?
Awareness and a clear understanding of why they need chess. And also the ability to seriously organize their work and hire a grandmaster chess coach.

Is chess harder for adults than for kids?
I would say yes, but not as hard as adult students think. They greatly exaggerate it.

What matters more in chess improvement: talent or time?
I would build the following chain from most important to least important: time —> hard work —> talent.