How To Become a Chess Grandmaster

Can Anyone Become A Grandmaster?

Alessia Santeramo: What is the oldest age someone can be when they start playing chess and they still become a Grandmaster?

Answer: Let’s say there is a multi-millionaire or multi billionaire at 25, very smart and just says: “I have one goal in life, I wanna become a Grandmaster.” It is possible even if you start playing chess at age 25.

He also mentioned having 5-6 hours a day to dedicate to chess.

Can You Become a 2600 ELO Chess Grandmaster starting at 30 Years Old? Ask Susan Polgar

Absolutely YES without any hesitation. For people who don’t have to work to make a living, can dedicate 6-8-10 hours a day to their passion and willing to sacrifice other parts of their life to it.

Alexandra Botez: “Hypothetically, let’s say someone is starting at 30, they have infinite money, this is their number one dedication. Can they become a Grandmaster?!”

Susan Polgar: “Absolutely YES! Without any hesitation. This person can become a Grandmaster 2500 even 2600. I absolutely believe so.”

Chess Grandmaster: Could YOU Make It?!

Could you become a Chess Grandmaster (GM)? What would it take?
The Grandmaster Dream is the ultimate goal in chess
Hikaru Nakamura made it at the early age of 15
Gothamchess is still trying
Why is it so difficult for most of us?

Featuring YFchess, International Master Yangfan Zhou who is quitting his job to chase Grandmaster!
Learn more about my chess journey here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/1durlex/the_grandmaster_dream_could_you_make_it/
https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/1dqzjsx/the_grandmaster_dream_is_it_worth_it/
https://www.youtube.com/@yfchess

The Number of Chess Grandmasters vs Billionaires

In theory, anybody with a good brain can make it. Unlike excellence in sports, you don’t need to be at peak physical form or at a certain age. There have been plenty of chess players who make it to Grandmaster at just 12 years old and also at over 50 years old.

Here’s an interesting video made by a fellow Canadian, chess books nerd/collector, and an exceptionally good chess player with a 2340 rapid chess.com rating in the 99.9% percentile. Also in the 99.9% percentile in Blitz and Bullet chess.

Here is his YouTube.com channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thechessnerd

and his chess.com account: https://www.chess.com/member/thechessnerd

8 Minutes, 8 Grandmasters Give Advice

Here is a small Bio about each Grandmaster featured:

1. GM Shawn Rodrigue-Lemieux 🇨🇦
• Canada’s Newest Grandmaster (2024)
• LIVE FIDE Rating: 2510 elo
• Broke a World Record for 3000 elo performance in Summer 2022 IM Norm Invitational and Gained +111.6 elo that same month
• Grew +205.7 elo (2276 to 2482 elo) in 1 year from October 2021 to october 2022

2. GM Felix Blohberger 🇦🇹
• ‪@febloh‬ is my current favorite chess channel for ambitious players
• Grew a ridiculous +465 FIDE in 6 Months in 2016 from 1835 to 2300 (FIDE Master)
• Chess Grandmaster at 19 years old (2021)
• FIDE World Cup Qualifier 2025 (Wishing him luck!)

3. GM Tomás Sosa 🇦🇷
• Known for Coaching Argentina’s Brightest Young Future the “Messi of Chess” 12-year old IM Faustino Oro
• 2024 Argentina Olympic Team
• Reach #2 in Argentina in May 2024 with a Peak Rating of 2575
• Runs a nice Youtube channel on here Tomás Sosa
• Inspires Many through his educational Instagram account: @tomasvsosa

4. SGM Bassem Amin 🇪🇬
• The Most Decorated African Player of All-Time
• First and Only African Player to Reach 2700 elo (Super Grandmaster)
• 7x African Champion (2009, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2024)
• Peak Rating of 2712
• Reached #33 in the World in 2019
• 8x World Cup Appearances: 2007, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023
• Inspiring Millions of Egyptian Chess Players

5. GM S.P. Sethuraman 🇮🇳
• India’s 24th Grandmaster
• Peak Ranking of 69th in the World (2018)
• Peak Rating of 2673 (2018)
• 🥉 Bronze Medal Winner at 2014 Trømso Olympiad 2024
• Reached Round 3 of the World Cup after defeating Sanan Sjugirov AND Pentala Harikrishna
• 6x Chessable Author: https://www.chessable.com/author/Sethuraman/
(I own his fantastic Jaenisch course)

6. GM Rasmus Svane 🇩🇪
• Grandmaster title at Age 19 (2016)
• German Federation’s U-14 Player of the Year (2010)
• 2x Chess Olympian (Baku, 2018 & Chennai, 2022)
• Highest FIDE classical rating: 2651, achieved in May 2022
• Peak world ranking: No. 96, reached in October 2023

7. GM Mauricio Flores Rios 🇨🇱
• Celebrity Chess Author with one of the Single Greatest contributions to chess literature of all-time with Chess Structures (2015)
• New Book “Chess Imbalances” (2025) took 8 years to complete
• Founded chessmind.ai for Ambitious Chess Players
• Has Analyzed over 1,000 Games of his

8. GM Fabiano Caruana 🇺🇸
• Third Highest Rated Player in History at 2844 elo
• World #2 Player for 9 years (2014-2023)
• Current World #3
• DELUSIONAL Current Elo 2784
• Grandmaster at Age 14 (2007)
• 4x US Champion 2016, 2022, 2023, 2024
• 4x Italian Champion 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011
• World Championship Finalist 2018
• 2018 Candidates Tournament Winner 2018
• First and Only Qualified for Candidates Tournament 2026
• 2014 Record Performance at Sinquefield Cup (Performance Rating of 3098)
His C-Squared Podcast: ‪@csqpod‬
His Chessable Course: https://www.chessable.com/caruanas-ruy-lopez-dark-archangel/course/188495/

8 Grandmaster Secrets

1. Studying openings for black
2. Artur Yusupov’s book series
3. Blindfolded chess and visualization
4. Solve 2-3 hrs of puzzles daily
5. Consistency is key, irrespective of outcome
6. Deep calculation and analysis of multiple candidate moves
7. Analyzing your games with intensity
8. Immerse into chess and think about it at all times