Are titled players chicken?

My guess is that they're concerned about their score.  My guess is that they work less hours than the average person.  I mean chess is the thing they do, not rocket science.  Many professions require more than 60 hours a week.  I guess some play chess on the side so that makes things tougher.  They play tournaments, sell books and offer unsolicited lessons for a fee to make money.  You play them and if you like them you can ask them about lessons.

 *smacks himself on the forehead over and over*

What does any of this have to do with titled players?? Many of us here on this site know our openings well. In fact, by the sounds of it, most people on here could beat you easily over and over again. If you want help improving your chess skills, guess what: that's what most of us are here for. People here can recommend good books you can learn from. Many people on here sell their services as a coach, if you're interested.  Or, if you want to play games for practice, start up some games. You'll learn lots just by playing people who are "not so good" - they'll beat you over and over again and you'll learn from it. 

Funny thing is, I'm still not sure whether you're completely clueless or just a troll. 

 It seems a few more posts showed up while I was writing my previous one. 

You don't seem to get it, do you? The "score" on chess.com is TOTALLY MEANINGLESS. The titled players DO NOT CARE ABOUT IT!!! They have an official FIDE rating in real life, and they don't give a damn about their rating on this website. They earn money by coaching people, yes, and by writing books, yes, and by winning prize money in tournaments (for example, Vladimir Kramnik was paid $1 million for a match against Deep Fritz).

The reason they don't want to play you is that it's a waste of time for them. Thousands players are willing to fork over lots of money to have titled players coach them - so why should they do it for free? In fact, some of them are nice enough to do it for free and if you hadn't come on here and started lambasting everyone of them you might have a bit more success. Instead you've pissed everyone off! Good job, genius. 

So once again - why don't you try challenging Tiger Woods to a game of golf, huh?? 

Greg,  I'm just trying to stir things up. 

 If your date of birth is correct and you are really 46 years of age, i pity you in response to your behaviour in this thread. The way ye are carrying on is not what this community needs or wants.

There's a far more sinister reason than cowardice why a master may not accept a challenge from an unknown, and Capablanca found out about it the hard way.

When at the height of his powers it's said that he accepted a challenge from a stranger. The man offered to donate $10,000 to Capa's favourite charity if Capa won but, should the unthinkable happen and Capa lose, the stranger could have any single item of his.

Surprisingly, as the game went on, Capa found himself accumulating too many positional disadvantages and, when it was obvious that he must eventually lose he said, “Who are you?”

The man said, “You know who I am.”

Capa's worst fears were realised and he knew his opponent was the Devil and that they were playing for his soul. Of course, Capa wasn't the world champion for nothing and he said, “If you're really the Devil, let me see you—with a single touch of your finger—turn your king into a golden piece with a jewelled crown.”

The Devil sneered and easily did as requested.

Then Capa said, “You touched it. Now you move it!”

It was the first time the Devil lost a chess game since that wily bishop, Ruy Lopez, trounced him in the fifteenth century.

So ephyte, why should any master accept a challenge from you? You're certainly not the Devil (whatever else he is, Satan is intelligent) but you may well be one of his imps. Or trolls.

I see no real point in playing a titled player unless I could put up a decent fight.  Sure, I'd learn, but I'd probably learn just as much from using Chess Mentor.

As an English teacher in Japan, I can understand why masters might not want to play people who just want to learn from them.  If people want to learn English, I expect them to pay me.  On trains and buses etc people are always wanting to practice their English, but I certainly do not volunteer my services (unless I'm receiving beer or other compensation!).  It frustrates the hell out of me (and other people trying to make money) that so many foreigners over here are quite happy to give up their services for nothing.  I wouldn't paint a random stranger's house for free, so why should I teach them English?  If I were a titled chess player, unless I thought I was going to get something out of it, I would refuse challenges too.  Playing your friends is one thing, (just as I'll happily speak English with my Japanese friends and co-workers) but giving free handouts to random people on the internet doesn't seem worth the effort.

 i concur

 and i'll never forget that game ;P

 That speaks volumes.

 Ditto.

Okay, I take back everything I said, then. I did not realize you were just trying to stir things up. Everyone knows that a desire to stir things up justifies any sort of obnoxious behavior, at least on the Internet.

It sure is nice that we have so many people with a finely tuned sense of just when things need stirring. We don't want this community to get too communal. 

You have the internet, look it up.

Reviving a 17 year old post is a new level of impressive.