Gaining 125 Elo At 77: NM John Brooks Tells His Story

I had the chance to sit down and interview Detroit legend, National Master John Brooks! FM James Canty, also a Detroit native and chess family to Brooks, was there to aid tech support and even give a few of his own thoughts about Brooks. They were at the Ed Mandell Chess Club, formerly known as All The Kings Men.

The idea for this interview started when I woke up to a message from a friend who said that Brooks of Detroit gained 125 USCF rating points, going back up to 2224 at the age of 77! This caught my eye because I wrote "Can Adults Improve At Chess," an article for Chess.com doing some research into what rating improvements have been made by adults at different ages. This was a perfect opportunity to hear the stories of a player who kept on the journey of chess improvement and did not let his age tell him to back down. 

This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Canty's responses will be prefaced with his name. Otherwise, every response belongs to Brooks.

Todd Bryant: I want to start at the beginning. Where are you from originally, and when did you learn to play chess?

John Brooks: I'm from Detroit, Michigan, and a Muslim taught my whole family. I come from a family of nine brothers and six sisters. This Muslim, he was a friend of my stepfather's. His name was Khaled Ali Bacha. My mother, she's a Cancer, used to beat all of us. She was the best chess player, but never liked the game. All my brothers play, and a couple of my sisters.

I couldn't beat my mother when I was coming up, you know. One time they offered to send me to Europe when I was a teenager, but I couldn't go because my mother had all of us. She didn't want me to go without her. So I missed that opportunity to go to Europe but I always had love for the game.

So your mom was beating everybody for a while, but at some point you got much stronger.

I was about 13 years old. When my mother quit playing, I took over and I started beating everybody. A lot of the older men used to come by to the house and I used to beat all of them. My mother did say, "Well, you wasting your time with a lot of these old fellas, even though you're having fun.” She took me to University of Detroit and introduced me to Dr. Gable, who was an expert. The first time I met him, I beat him. He was really surprised at me beating him at my young age, so he introduced me to some masters and they beat me, Wesley Burgar and ‘em. But they were impressed with my game and from then on I kept coming around them and I got stronger and stronger. I won the state championship three years later.

I drew with Samuel Reshevsky, the grandmaster, when I was a young guy.

I beat quite a lot of strong players. I beat Paul Poschel, a 10-time Michigan State champ. Folks said, “Well, maybe you're gonna be something special.” Then I drew with Samuel Reshevsky, the grandmaster, when I was a young guy. Well, he gave me a draw. I was a pawn up and he shook my hand and said, "You want a draw?" I said, "Yeah, I’ll take it."

You were a teenager when you drew Reshevsky? 

Yeah, 16 or 17. Later on I was able to win every tournament they ever had at least one time here in Detroit. When I got older, I won [age 65 to 69 champion] in the United States Senior Championship. Chess has been good for me.

Then I started teaching, and that was better than all the accolades that I won. One of my students, Reginald Perry, won $10,000. We went to New York and he brought back $10,000. He was one of my best students. I had another student, Irvin Thompkins, who won $3,000. He won the Chicago Open. 

I got more out of teaching than winning as I got older.

I had another student named Gail and he won the Chicago in the Class C/Class B section. I got more out of teaching than winning as I got older. I enjoy helping other people get strong. And a lot of my younger students won tournaments, which made me very happy. 

So you showed early talent for sure, but maybe it's not such a surprise because it sounds like you come from a games-playing family.

I had a lot of love for chess when I was coming up but I might have been stronger. A lot of people don't know: I quit chess for five years. Because when I turned 19, I got married and started working. I loved the game, but I had a family, and I say, “Maybe I'm done with chess.” But when I turned 23, a lot of people was looking to play me because they remembered how good I used to be. They started coming around, and kind of beating me. They got me back to where I was real strong, and I started beating them, and then they disappeared. They got me back on my game and I went back to winning tournaments. 

They got me back on my game and I went back to winning tournaments. 

I was glad to get back. There wasn't any Internet so I just had to fight my way back through it. Chess kind of keeps you grounded and keeps you calm. I was just thankful to have chess in my life.

In 2021 you were rated 2100 and then ran it up back over 2200 in a few years. You played about one tournament a month during these years. How did you stay sharp and practice? 

Well, I don't study, but I do a lot of teaching. I go in books and show students stuff they don't understand, and then I play them and break down games for them. So I'm always keeping my mind active when showing people how to play and play better. 

I got four guys that I raised. They’re masters now. We played speed chess; Irvin, Mickey, Jimmy, and a guy named Quan. Jimmy kept me on my toes. Through the years they kept me together. 

When you're playing speed chess, is that over-the-board or do you play any games online? 

I don't play online, I play over-the-board. One of my students played online and I would analyze his games, show him his mistakes, and what he needed to be looking at. He's a supervisor at Ford and I've been teaching him for 20 years.

That keeps me sharp, just showing [students] what they need to do. I did more playing than studying.

A lot of students I've had for 10 or 15 years. That keeps me sharp, just showing them what they need to do. I did more playing than studying. I played a lot of masters and grandmasters. 

What are some of your best wins? 

I used to play Vukadinov. He was from Canada. He played in the US Open and didn't lose a game. He started off beating me but I ended up beating him. We became friends.

I also played IM Emory Tate, E.T., and drew him in the first tournament we played in. I always looked up to E.T. He was a very strong player. Funny story: E.T. forgot he had played me in that tournament. He came down here for another tournament, went into the skittles room, and said, “Do anybody wanna play some speed? I'll spot anybody in here.” We weren't saying much. So he was like, “Well, I'll give you some five-to-two.”

I said, okay, I'll play. I started crushing him because five-to-two was too much for him to be giving me. He got real angry and slapped the pieces off the board. He was kind of drinking a little bit too. But after we left, he apologized and told me I was a strong player. Told me I should go to New York and play the Under 2400. He said, “You can win that.” We became friends after that. 

Glad that story had a good end. What do you think are the secrets to being a good blitz player? 

Well, one of the secrets is playing other blitz players that can play good! You know, if I knew where a strong player was, or if he came to the city, I wanted to play him. I always wanted to play somebody that was strong. I never say he's too strong for me. Nope. I wanted to see if I could beat him. And if I couldn't beat him, I shook his hand and was glad to play him. But sometimes I'll surprise myself and beat a strong player. But if you don't play him, you can't beat him.

When I went out of town, I played IM Raymarat. He challenged everybody in the skittles room at the World Open and nobody would play him. Not GM Ben Finegold, nobody. I won some games, but he beat me. He was very strong and had an old man with him with a bag of money. He said he spotted a 2400 player five to two and beat him out of $25,000. He was the strongest player I ever played with.

Sometimes I'll surprise myself and beat a strong player. But if you don't play him, you can't beat him.

I got pictures of GM Yasser Seirawan, GM Roman Dzindzichashvili, I've just been around the game for a long time. I played a lot of strong players. I played Zin Zin [Dzindzichashvili]. We gambled. I didn't play Seirawan, but I was around him. I can't even think of all the players that I played with. I played this strong lady. Her name was Narelle Kellner. I beat her. She was playing a simul. I was young. 

I've just been around the game for a long time. I played a lot of strong players.

I ended up playing simuls too. I went to Wayne State and played 50 boards. I think I lost one. When I was young, they invited me to go to Jackson Prison and Marlin to play all the prisoners. I was a little scared of that. The guys were nice though. I went up there, played 30 boards. I think I lost one. In Marlin, I think I played 25 boards. I might have lost or drew one.

What’s your style of chess? Are you a tactical player, positional player?

I play a little both, but I’m a counter player. If somebody attacks me, I counterattack. If my opponent allows me, I just take all the best squares and squeeze them off the board. Put them in like a zugzwang. I have beaten a lot of people with no pieces being taken off, and they had to resign because all their moves were losing. You don't have to be up material to win a game. I found that out as I got older.

One of the main things is taking control of the center, which, you know, we all learn when we're young. I teach my students that. If you got all your pieces back home and you let a person take control of the board, you can just almost resign because for every move you make, you’re losing. You know, it's just bad to give up the center. 

One of the main things is taking control of the center...

What is your opening repertoire? 

I try to play a lot of different openings, but my main opening is English, you know, 1.c4. And with Black, it depends on how I feel. If somebody hit me with the e-pawn, I might play the French, and I might play Caro-Kann. I very seldom play 1...e5 against 1.e4  because I don't like that. It gets into kind of a wild game. White has too many tactical shots after 1.e4 e5. I prefer a French or a Sicilian, a Caro-Kann… Every now and then, I used to play the Alekhine, too.

So I know you play James [Canty] a lot. Has he converted you to the Jobava London?

Yeah, he showed me some of it. We looked at a little bit of it and analyzed it. It's kind of special. You’ve got to keep your eye on it. One slip and you're out. I like to play against attacking players like him, because it sharpens my defense. A lot of guys can attack, but they don't have any defense. 

Do you feel like your chess style changed over the years? 

Yeah, somewhat. Even though I play defense, I play a little more aggressively. If you give me something, I'm going to take advantage of it. I look for all weaknesses. A lot of people, when they play chess, they just start opening up their pieces. But when you're a really good chess player, a person can make a move in the opening and be busted. But you gotta recognize it. That's what I teach my students. If they make a weakness, you gotta jump on it, because in the next move it'll be gone. Now, if you don't always see the number-one move, you want to see close to it, the number-two move. Number-three is kind of okay, and anything beyond number-three is losing. Number-three is just a so-so move. But the number-one move is the move you want to live by on the chessboard.  

The number-one move is the move you want to live by on the chessboard.  

Do you have a different approach when you're playing a young, talented player to when you're playing an adult, or do you just play your same chess?

I know they're strong, so you gotta take them seriously. Back in the day, some kids played like they were not sure. But these kids are different. They'll play even stronger when you give them something.

For instance, I was playing this teenager. He dropped a piece in the opening, and I was thinking he really can't play that well. So I'm just moving around, and gave the piece back by accident. He crushed me. When I gave him the piece back, he started playing like a master all of a sudden. I learned from that. Don't take anybody for granted. 

Don't take anybody for granted.

Some kids are grandmasters, like Samuel Reshevsky. I saw a game with him one time when I was young. I didn't even know how strong he really was when he was a kid. He played a blindfold simul that got into the magazine. He played 20 boards, had a little sailor suit on. So you have to respect the kids.

Anytime you beat somebody that's strong when you're a young fellow, it's like a feather in your cap. I remember Ben Finegold beat me when he was young. The first thing he did is called his daddy and said, “I beat John Brooks.” I think he was probably about 12 or 13. 

So, James, you knew John for a while growing up as a kid in Detroit, right?

James Canty: Yeah, long time. I was like 2000 going into eighth grade. But the only person who was a master that I knew was Brooks. No one else, at least Black, from Detroit was a master. So I always looked up to John. I looked up to a few other guys who were experts, but nobody was like John. 

No one else, at least Black, from Detroit was a master. So I always looked up to John.

—James Canty

I was playing John and everyone at the chess club. Just getting through the ranks and playing the stronger players. Win, lose, or draw, you just get to experience and go through it, so it was fun. When I hit master, I was like “Wow, Brooks is the only other one paving the way for a very long time in Detroit.”

How did you stay sharp and battle it out against young kids and strong players in your late 70s?

I play against these young masters, the friends of mine that I grew up teaching. When they were young, I created their game and made them masters. They kept my game up all these years because I didn't have anybody to play with. Masters didn't live in the hood where we live. 

They kept my game up all these years because I didn't have anybody to play with. Masters didn't live in the hood where we lived.

I raised at least seven, eight, to nine guys that got really strong. On the weekends, for the last 20 years, we play speed. Me, Urban, Nicky, Jimmy, and a few more guys. We took it really seriously too. We play for a few dollars a game, but it ain't enough to go buy your sandwich. We just enjoyed each other, we enjoyed the game. 

Maurice Ashley came here, the grandmaster. We asked him if he wanted to play with us, and we put the clock on three minutes, and he told us no. He wouldn't even look at our three-minute games, so we had to play five minutes. We beat him now and then.

We just enjoyed each other, we enjoyed the game.

I've been playing for a long time, and a lot of people say, “How do you stay strong at your age?” Well, if the Lord lets your mind still be okay, and you don't have Alzheimer's, you could play. 

My mother had a strong mind. She was in her seventies, and she could out-think all of us. My father played checkers, and he used to play checkers so fast. That's why I play speed, I guess. My mother was a fast thinker. I picked up a lot of that from her. I have another brother, he can bowl. His name is Dino. My other brother, he was a great painter. All of us were doing something. My sisters were smart. We got a lot of brains from our parents. 

James, your channel is focused a lot on chess improvement. What are some things your fans might learn from John?

James Canty: There's a saying that if you don't use it, you lose it, right? John's just working. Basically, the four-letter word we use all the time is work. The only way you're going to improve in anything is through repetitions, through work. John would do that forever. I mean, 10 years ago, he was still playing blitz games with the same guys.

The only way you're going to improve in anything is through repetitions, through work. John would do that forever.

—James Canty

When I was a kid, it was the same guys, Slick Mick, Brooks, of course, sometimes Big G came out there, some of the younger people in my crowd, my age, who all play chess up here at the chess club for hours. From noon to one in the morning, every weekend. It'd be like Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and we’d be playing blitz. This was many, many years ago as a kid.

So it's consistent work over time that really yields excellent results. John is doing that, as you see in his improvement.

What is one thing you could say, John, to wrap up?

One thing is, I think, to stay consistent in what you believe and what you like doing. If you have love for the game, you stick with it, you continue playing, then the results will come. But you gotta have love for the game just like for anything else in life.  

You gotta have love for the game just like for anything else in life.