Making a living with chess
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I am one of the people you speak of. I'm rated between 2000 and 2100, and make my living through teaching chess...I'm not nearly strong enough to make a living by playing tournaments...in fact I have never come close to breaking even in a year of playing tourneys (money-wise). No one at my level makes a living through playing...even 2400 is probably too low.
A player rated 2000 to 2200 is not a pro, and he doesn't make a living playing chess. Unless he's one of the very few who does it by teaching, running clubs etc.
I'm in the same boat. I teach chess in a number of public and private schools as well as privately. While, I'm not skill enough to play OTB games for a living, I do quite well teaching. I also got a grant for writing a chess book for at risk teenagers which I'm half way through writing. I'm happy just to be able to make a living teaching chess. That to me is a dream come true. Its also a lot of work because I give homework, do detailed analysis of student games and I make myself available via email and phone for every student I teach. Honestly, teaching chess, especially to troubled teenagers, makes me feel like I'm doing something positive in life. I'll leave professional chess to those with real talent!
Thanks. So only a tiny group of people play chess for a living. But teaching chess is possible. Nice.
"Chess book for at risk teenagers" - sounds interesting. I'm curious.
I write freelance too, and would enjoy writing about chess one day. But that will have to wait a bit. For now, I just post a little blog entry now and then.
chess teaching/training/writing its not a pro chess player... In my country Portugal we have like 3 GM's and not one can make a living out of chess playing in Portugal. In Spain there are plenty of them even IM just living as a pro chess player, the money dosen't come from winning tournaments thats a sporadic thing, chess pros make money because they are hired to play for chess teams exp. Barcelona or Real Madrid etc
How does pros make a living playing chess? Do tournaments have prize money worth talking about? I don't mean the handful of players that make millions, but rather the average - maybe 2,000-2,200 rated - player.