Start by saying that you are going to join a hippie commune, give away all of your money, and move to Northern California.
Hey! That sounds like the story of my life - except I didn't intentionally give away all my money, nor did I ever get good enuff to become a professional chess player...oh well never mind...
Whereas I avoided hippie communes, spent all my money, and stayed in northern California.
I wouldn't tell them. How do you phrase "I'm going to trash my potential to be some starving, poor chess hustler" to your parents?
Don't worry, all parents tell their kids that they have potential. It's like Santa Claus.
I wouldn't tell them. How do you phrase "I'm going to trash my potential to be some starving, poor chess hustler" to your parents?
Especially when you're not even that good.
Someone offered to pay for chess coaching for me assuming I am a the hypothetical kid I posted about. I'm not. I'm neither a kid nor aspiring for GM or to make a living from playing chess.
pretty sure the only person making big $ off of chess is carlsen
Natalia Pogonina makes more from chess related activities than the rest...
How would you tell yourself? How would you be convinced? Only the top 3% in the world can make a living from just "playing" chess and only "playing" chess.
Less rated GMs do something else than just playing chess in order to make a living.
Consider this : a tournament with only players above 2600 FIDE rating has a winning prize of $18,000 if you are lucky to win one of those in one year. $18,000 to live on in one year is NOTHING. You will starve or live miserable with that. Oh, and you will have no woman, no kids, nothing.
Unless you are a prodigy at chess, you better find a good way to earn some money and just play chess on the side. Remember chess is not life, just a part of it and only to some people.
i make $12000 a year and it's a good living for me. if i added chess to that one day, i'd love it! Oh, and i can still afford a diamond membership on chess.com!
Well.....As a mother, I would be VERY concern if my child comes to me as says "I want to make a living at chess".....I want my child to be a professional, to have a career....and if he wants to be a professional chess player after he graduates is perfectly fine with me....but then again, every parent is different :/
No one kicks around with the dire straits, take that dad!
I want my child to be a professional, to have a career....and if he wants to be a professional chess player after he graduates is perfectly fine with me...
Hm, I'm sensing a mixed message...
Yeah, I think it's probably best to start with "I want my child to be grounded in reality..." and then to build on that.
Does anyone know the average salary for a professional chess player?
one morning, go to your parents room while wearing dark shades, make a straight face and repeat the words, 'i want to make a living off chess', 'i want to make a living off chess', 'i want to make a living off chess'.
I want my child to be a professional, to have a career....and if he wants to be a professional chess player after he graduates is perfectly fine with me...
Hm, I'm sensing a mixed message...
hahahahaha You think? U read me just right Andy ;)
Any responsible parent will take their child to the nearest club/hustler in the park, pay someone to beat their kid senseless (OTB is preferred), watch these lofty dreams/aspirations get crushed in 5-0 or 15-0 time controls repeatedly while intermittently checking their phone for messages/catching up on work. After their little prince/princess realizes what "ice skating uphill" feels like, treat him/her to some ice-cream and be back home just in time for dinner.
Either the kid gets the hint ... or in the rarest of rare situations, the hustlers/club players lose no matter what they throw at him and/you end up getting pleasantly surprised that the kid has talent that is worth time + money nurturing.
Tough love FTW!
Lol, there you go! Why does (mostly) everyone here think they can make a living playing chess? It's difficult stuff, I would think more people would make lite of this encounter.
Why does (mostly) everyone here think that getting a college degree is somehow superior to devoting their lives to chess?
If nothing else, chess is cheaper.
Why does (mostly) everyone here think that getting a college degree is somehow superior to devoting their lives to chess?
If nothing else, chess is cheaper.
Amen. It's scarcely even useful on the personal level--it's just a nice, interesting hobby.
The greatest chess player ever isn't as useful as your garbageman.
Its easy! First you tell them you want to be a professional basketball player. After a couple days you tell them you changed your mind and want to be a professional boxer. After a couple more days tell them you want to be a professional wrestler. When you finally tell them you are going to be a professional chess player they will be thrilled!
dress up like a ninja. sneak quietly into their bedroom at night while they sleep then whisper into their ear 'i want to make a living at chess', 'i want to make a living at chess', 'i want to make a living at chess'. This will have a subconscious effect.
In fact, I associate visual thinkers with idiots, which is why I don't think you need to have an above average IQ to be good at chess. Look at Carlsen. Just a regular person when it comes to everything but chess.
Interesting observation. I am a member of the Triple Nine Society, but am an absolute patzer at chess, especially shorter time controls. You have no idea how many times I have analyzed an illegal move for many seconds before realizing that the horsey doesn't move that way. I think in principles and my combinatory skills are weak.
... in longer time controls I do much better, both OTB and on chess.com.
By telephone or e-mail from a great distance.