If yes, how much? If you do not mind.
I'd assume you must be at least at master level, around 2000+ FIDE rated to even think about making money with it?
For the most part, only the top GMs really make any money playing chess.
I've made 100-150 bucks in total from winning small tournaments in low rated sections (my uscf is underrated), and make some money from coaching but nothing that makes a living
Tens and tens of dollars.
Just kidding. Probably a few thousand. You can't really make enough to live if you only play. You'd have to get good enough to coach camps in areas where the population is high enough to make that possible. Charlotte NC is a good example. Peter Giannatos has a successful club there where they have camps & teach a lot of kids in schools. But Charlotte is a bigger market that makes that possible & he has done a superb job putting all that together. If you get to master level you'd likely make more money coaching/teaching than in tournaments.
Tens and tens of dollars.
Just kidding. Probably a few thousand. You can't really make enough to live if you only play. You'd have to get good enough to coach camps in areas where the population is high enough to make that possible. Charlotte NC is a good example. Peter Giannatos has a successful club there where they have camps & teach a lot of kids in schools. But Charlotte is a bigger market that makes that possible & he has done a superb job putting all that together. If you get to master level you'd likely make more money coaching/teaching than in tournaments.
why do all that when you can coach online?
in the u.s anyone can make money playing chess, most of the big tournaments are divided by sections so if you at least approaching 1000-1200, you can occasionally make a little bit.
in february i won $1200 for winning first at an u2200 event for example.
it will never be even a min wage job though. maybe on a really good year with the right selection of tournaments you can maybe make 12k before jumping an entire section upward and then the rating floors will take effect so your sandbagging chances will be few.
if you mean like masters. , believe it or not, things are hardly better. You will have to be a at least IM level (to get free entry and if you really lucky, conditions) and be a real weekend warrior jumping almost month to month to different tournaments. It is possible to make some money this way, i think the best example of someone who milks this in the U.S circuit is GM awonder liang but he is like 2670 USCF. He is so strong, he wins some of the strongest opens and still loses rating points lol. Even then though, he is hardly breaking bank, maybe he makes 30k a year on playing those big events, maybe a little more but thats it.
outside the u.s things can sometimes be better, some clubs in europe pay you represent them, but i dont think most gms in europe are making that much either. making money in chess playing is mostly for the super GM's who play in invitational tournaments. Those have very high prizes but are limited to like the top 50 players.
let me tell you, most coaches dont bother teaching in person unless they live in a very convenient area like near the marshall or st louis club. even if you charged 75 an hour, just moving to and from locations is too much of a hassle for the number of hours they can coach at once. Most have wisely moved online.
i remember at one point when i was a coach briefly, how easy it was to get 50$ an hour coaching gigs if it was in person and i wasnt even NM then. they are simply not worth it. Most of the time, i can at most get 2 hours in a single session and lose at least 40 minutes to an from chosen locations plus gas and car wear. simply not worth it.
If yes, how much? If you do not mind.
I'd assume you must be at least at master level, around 2000+ FIDE rated to even think about making money with it?