The reason behind Wesley's bad form

http://www.startribune.com/local/west/299426421.html

So now, what do you think of So's family ( mother i guess)

and this guy https://www.facebook.com/paul.truong.1466?ref=ts&fref=ts

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Truong

(husband of Susan Polgar)

Not sure whether his parents are truly bad since they are his parents but i definitely think Paul Truong seems evil now. (at least his actions)

What do you guys think?

It's too bad that Wesley So didn't get any insight from the USCF-Polgar/Truong fiasco. I wouldn't give Polgar/Truong the time of day, much less associate myself with them in any way.

I definately think Paul Truong needs to explain himself. Apparently, if I remember correctly from an article I read, So alledges that he forced So to send an e-mail to his adoptive family saying he never wants to talk to them again, so he could focus on chess? He definately needs to tell his side of the story.

Kids take too long to grow up these days. In all honesty, id want him to finish college too. $100,000 is a lot of money to a college kid so the allure and fantasy of being a professional athlete takes over.

Chess pays too poorly compared to other sports. You're better off becoming a college graduate and teaching chess lessons on the side than you are trying to become a touring pro and wasting 10 years of your life.

I could eat my words, but I doubt it.

This guy's top10 in the world and has to be (essentially) a squatter at a (more or less) strangers house.

How lucrative can chess be?

Wesley's business is Wesley's business.  The people he surrounds himself with --- he is an adult now, it's Wesley's choice.  could be that Wesley will have to learn to be more cunning.  his chess is quite good and on the whole seems to have a positive personality.  hope to play chess with him some day.

Because you spend 10 years of your life not being in the work force and gainfully employed.

Graduate college 2015 > Apply for job > Teach chess lessons on the side.

vs.

Drop out of college > Chase a dream > Still squatting at a strangers house because you're barely making it > Quit 10 years later > Reapply to college and have to take all classes again because credits expired.


Just think about it... he's #7 in the world (or whatever) and he has to live in a strangers house. Obviously money is scarce, even though he just won Millionaire Chess.

If he thought he could make 100k a year playing chess, for the next 10 years, why wouldnt he just live on his own in an apartment? How many people do you know that have a 100k salary still live at home with their parents, or have "roommates", or live with a complete strangers family?

The money isnt there. That's why it's a waste.

The road to success is easy in America. You dont have to take big risks to make a decent living here. Chess may be the only thing some people have in other parts of the world. Not here. There are a lot of options here. You just have to play smart.

Why doesn't the public just mind their own business?  This is the problem with the world today.  People sticking their nose where it doesn't belong:

• Does So have personal issues?  Let him figure it out rather than being judgmental when you only truly know 5% of the situation!
• Did Bill Clinton have sex with Monica Lewinsky?  Again, nobody's business, and let the law determine if he lied under oath.  If he did, he should be punished!
• Why does everyone want to stalk and judge Kim Kardashian?  If she decides to stop her show and wants to get away from the public view, let her be!  Keep your nose out!
• Why do people always need to stop and look at a fender bender when driving, just to slow the snot out of the traffic?  It's a fender bender!  Are you that sheltered that you've never seen a fender bender before?
• Why do people whine and bi*ch about the law imposed by the government on Friday approving same sex marriage in all states?  Separation of Church and State!  A church should have every right not to do marital ceremonies for same sex couples.  Outside of a church property, what you say against it means ZILCH!  They are not hurting you.  You may not believe in it, but their life is not yours.  They don't believe the same things you believe, and your beliefs have no business being imposed outside of your own church.  Talk and spread all you want to your congregation, but the moment you use it to impose laws outside of your own church is the moment you violate Separation of Church and State and the moment where people don't give two hoots what you have to say.  Sit down and shut up!  You live your life.  Let the gays and lesbians live theirs!

Let Mr. So resolve his own problems.  If he asks for help, by all means help him if you want to volunteer.  Otherwise, quit making judgments about him or his situation.  Last thing he needs is BS rumors and bogus advice like what is on this forum topic!

He sees those "strangers" as his family, according to him. He's not "squatting" because he needs to, he wants to. He could easily, as you suggest, go get an apartment alone somewhere.

#7 in the world makes tons of money. Even last place at Norway Chess alone paid $15,000, and more than 7 players were invited.

If money is how you determine success.... some don't count dollars as happiness/success.

An "iffy" 100k gross a year is not something id bet my life on, not in the long run. A solid 100k, sure.

Look at it this way... if you get a bachelors degree you can bet you'd make $45k a year STARTING. If you get a grad degree, you can bet you'd get $75k-$85k STARTING. That kinda baseline salary compared to an iffy 100k for being a top 10 player in the WORLD is not a bet I would take.

People only move in with their "family" if they cannot make it on their own (for whatever reason) or if someone in that family needs immediate care.

So, if I hired you on a 100k salary, you'd move back home with your parents? That makes no sense. If you just LOST your job while living on a 100k salary, THEN you might move back home with your parents. Is Wesley so a "Manchild"? Is he not capable of doing his own laundry, even though hes making "loads of money"?

He's struggling. We all know it. The money is not as good as you think. You can see the downward spiral when professional athletes start getting DQ'ed for silly reasons.

Money =/= success.

Nither does being a top10 pro in the world at something and hoping to gross 100k over the next 10 years.

Get a degree. Get a good job. Play your sport on the side.

Unless he knows he's going to be top3 in the world and hold it for the next 5 years, you're going to be behind in lifetime earnings vs. getting a good job. Chess does not pay well.

You can have a pretty damn good life as a doctor. And you can still be a chess grandmaster on the side. Or, you can bet it all on being a chess player and lose years of your life (and a good portion of your sanity) on why you have touble paying your bills.

Ever seen what happens to "professional gamblers"?

Make 10 million in a few years... dies broke chasing dreams.

You dont want to be that.

And FWIW,

If any of you have dealt with talented juniors before, it's usually the other way around with the parents. The parents are usually the ones telling their kids to go all in with their sport.

I played tennis in college and teach tennis on the side.

I was usually the one to tell the parents that their kid is in fact not the next Roger Federer just because they won a state championship. It's kinda funny that it's going the other way around in the chess world, haha.

By the time a kid is in their teens you can tell if they will cap out at college tennis or be able to go beyond that. Parents do not like to hear that their kids will cap out at "less than touring pro".

 I know a bunch of people who graduated with a bachelors degree within the last 5 years, and hardly any of them are making that kind of money. A few of them are working a part time job on the side.

I agree with you in general, but Wesley So has a good chance of making more money playing chess than he would with a bachelors degree.

Depends where you live and what kinda degree. If you get a "useful" degree and live in a moderate to high cost of living area 45k a year would be low.

With a high school diploma you can get a job that pays $50k a year starting. The police department here just increased the starting salary over the next few years.

With an engineering degree you can get a job that starts at $30+ an hour.

I think he's doing exceptionally well, for now, but the 10 year forcast on a "professional chess player" does not look well unless you're a world champion for at least a number of those years.

You can still charge a lot of money for private chess lessons while you're working a 9-5 job. It's hard to teach privates when you're a touring pro.

Once you drop out of the top10 too, your income will be dramatically worse.

Maybe im cynical. Maybe im "projecting". But, I wouldnt change my life one bit. I was no where near a world class tennis player but I did want to take some time trying the lower level events at one point during college. I'm glad I didnt.

I just hope I dont see Wesley waste valuable years of his life chasing a dream that ends up in disaster.

The thing about chess is you can practice it and stay relevant all your life without having to go "all in" on it. You dont want to be like the GM's who have to hop from club to club and try to market themselves because it's too hard to make a living on tour, and you only realized it way too late.

It's hard being a touring pro. Even harder in chess because the money is so bad.