I dunno, some people simply have no talent and will have major trouble with even a lot of training. I mean there are lots of kids who study for years and never get above 1300-1500. The same is true of many adults. Of course most adults just assume it won't be the case with them. Also it takes a lot of practice playing, I think it takes more time. Like 2-3 hours of study per day over a longer period of time would be more beneficial.
Y, I agree.
I was wondering in the case of a player like Durr who obviously has a natural aptitude for mental games. If you were to take the bet again for rook odds and knew he had exactly one month to practise/study and use any tools at his disposal, would you?
I would guess a solid 1400-1500 player would win this provided they were rated such for stronger middle and endgame play, not blind memorization of openings...
I guess I'd probably still be a favorite but of course the more he works the tougher itd be.