How Long Does it Take to Learn Chess? A Quick Look

Question And Answers
April 17, 2022
Updated: January 23, 2024
Father Teaching His Daughter to Play Chess At Home

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Before answering this question, we want you to understand that there’s a huge difference between learning chess and mastering chess.

You can actually learn the basics of chess within a few hours and start playing immediately.

In that short time, you can pick up the key rules, understand how each piece moves differently, and get a sense of some simple strategies. Within a week of regular practice, you’ll have a solid grasp of the fundamentals.

The challenge however lies in mastering chess.

From our individual experiences here at the ChessForSharks editorial team, mastering chess took a minimum of 5 good years for each person.

That’s because a newbie chess player has a whole lot to take in. They have to study and practice:

  • Advanced tactics
  • Positional chess
  • Strategic planning
  • Difficult endgame techniques
  • Tough chess calculations, and lots more.

If you’re wondering about how long it’ll take you to become proficient at the game, the correct answer will depend on your level of dedication, amount of time you’re willing to invest, and your natural aptitude for the game.

Learning and mastering chess is not a function of age. This is why we can have 15-yr old and 50-yr old chess grandmasters.

It’s however a function of compounded efforts and time. These players usually spend a minimum of 5 hours daily studying and practicing chess for many years before they eventually bag the grandmaster title.

This means that the amount of time you devote to chess is directly proportional to your chances of mastery.

There’s your answer.

Or, maybe you don’t need to worry so much about how much time you need to take to be skilful at chess,

Just enjoy the game and keep practising.

Sooner or later, you’ll achieve master status if you do stay consistent.

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Chessforsharks Editorial Team

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Our team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers and chess experts with combined 28 years of experience.

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