Do you know professional chess player who starts playing/training chess late?

Question

Players I know, especially Aronian starts to play chess very early as a kid, etc.

Answer 1

I think that most great chess players were introduced to chess as a kid.  

When they are children, they have more time to study, and play.  Their brains are still more easily able to gain knowledge.

A Chess Master once told me that to get to your full potential, you need to study and play chess for 7 years.  This does not mean just in the evenings after work.  So it is very difficult to get the time commitment in after you have gotten older.  

Also, there is not a lot of data about when different players started playing, (other than some of the more recent grandmasters.)  

  Anjelina Belakovskaia  was introduced to chess by her parents when she was 6.  (3 time US Woman's Chess Champion)

David Bronstein started at age 6.

Others may have started later.  but Not sure

like:

George Koltanowski born in 1903 - First tournament at age 21

He was mistakenly put into the grandmaster section because of a mistaken identity.  He was in last place in that section, but drew gransmaster Tarrasch!

   He is best known for setting  the world's blindfold record on September 20, 1937 in Edinburgh by playing 34 chess games simultaneously while blindfolded.

(His record still stands)

Answer 2

I think both Tchigorin and Blackburne started late (like around 20 years old) and became among the world's best.  That was in the 19th century though--the trend now is for everyone to be younger and younger.

Answer 3

jack