It is Never Too Late to Become a Grandmaster

60 years have passed since the day I took up chess seriously. Agree, this is still a serious date that gives the right to sum up some results. I have tried to make the book presented to the attention of the reader biographical. Not everything worked out, because some events from my chess life were not included in this work – the time has not yet come... Maybe someday I will tell about them... For 10 years now I have been playing in competitions with a special mark in the standings – “veteran”. At first it confused me, but soon I realized that at all times and in all spheres of human activity the word “veteran” ” has a noble meaning. Friends often ask themselves the question: “ Vladimir, are you not tired of playing chess? I always answer: no, I’m not tired. Where else can you find such a huge space for self-expression! “Chess is not for the faint of heart,” Steinitz once said. I agree 100%! Chess players do not need pumped up muscles, they need a stable neuropsychic organization. How else can you resist the constant pressure that every nerve cell of the player experiences? I don’t always like this constant struggle with the stress that hangs over you, especially when you are wrong in a winning position. And in recent years, another “problem” has been added – incredibly powerful computer engines that younger opponents skillfully use in preparation for the game. But when you win a beautiful game or use a theoretical novelty invented at home (albeit with the help of a computer), or defend a difficult hopeless position, how great it is! And at such moments you don’t think what chess is – it is science, art or sport. At times like these, they are just part of your life. Well, it’s time to finish, and in the end, just tell the dear reader – how incredibly interesting it is to be an active chess player, albeit a veteran. ~ Vladimir Okhotnik