The worst form of self torture: Becoming a chess pro!

We all know that guy who tries to convince you that chess is an art, a sport and a science at the same time. Yes, we all have that ridiculous friend who tells you that chess is a sport because after a 5 hour game you feel exhausted!

But it's Ok. Some day that person will grow up and will stop having such ridiculous fantasies. 

The real problem is unfortunately something much more serious and sad. A boy discovers chess and starts playing it just for fun, after some time he starts improving and even wins some games. Then he gets greedy, he wants more and more and more. 

He starts discovering new openings, tactics, he gets extremely amazed by the beauty of Kasparov's games and suddenly the tragic day arrives: He decides that he wants to become a chess professional!

Fortunately there are some cases where such a horrendous idea is just temporary, but there are other cases where parents even support that atrocious idea and that is how the kid starts spending his childhood years on a board game that he thinks is an art. 

Years pass, and very quickly this amazing art/sport/science is starting to become a complete nightmare. 

Constant mental breakdowns, nerve wracking moments, stress, insane obsession, absolute lack of a healthy life style....he starts realizing that he has spent so so so many hours training, his parents spent so much money on trainers and travels and chess material, and still he is so so far from the level he wants. There are so many people that are way stronger than him, there are so many things that he needs to learn. 

But let's be positive. After so many years of tears, stress and suffering he finally achieved a good enough ELO rating to be considered a chess pro. 

He is highly respected by casuals on chess.com because there are red letters next to his nickname that prove he is a titled player and not some random Joe. 

But what happens next? One would think that after achieving a high level he can finally have a good life, with financial security, and all that killing of childhood and teen years was absolutely worth it. 

Not even close!! 

He is a good player but he is not even in the Top 30 of best players in the world. He plays tournaments but never wins because there are always people stronger than him. 

The amount of money he makes is really slim. He is a very strong player but he can barely afford a very very small appartment.

Plus, because he spent all his youth years on chess now he is socially very awkward and has a very difficult time socializing with people outside of his chess circle. 

He gets really depressed when he realizes that there is no money in chess, that the vast majority of people in the world do not care at all about chess, that women are not attracted even a bit to him and that he spent his best years of life on nothing more than a board game who brought him nothing. 
Now he does not know anything in life outside of the 52936394 variations of every chess opening. 

He needs to somehow survive. He can become a chess scammer in parks, he can write blogs or articles for some website or magazine, or he can teach chess to little kids who, like him, are in their way of making a catastrophic life choice...

this is very dark and depressing...

Truth can often be dark and depressing

I guess you're not that guy, since you don't have red letters next to your name on chess.com.

Thank God!

go away chess hater. ARe you what people call ''chess.com forum trolls''?

It's just a game until somebody loses an eye.

Then it's a sport.

If you can become a titled player concurrently while learning/earning another profession, then that would be the way to go.

Botvinmik was an electrical engineer.  Rueben Fine was a psychiatrist.  Rogoff is an economics professor at Harvard.  Ding Liren is earning a law degree.

I couldn’t agree with you more which is odd and slightly confusing because I previously thought reading your posts was the worst form of self torture. Now I am not quite sure what to make of the situation.

Chess can be sad and all. But how about when waiters come over mid meal and say "enjoy your food" and you accidentally respond "you too" and you have to watch them walk away all sad and hungry. 

Run, Pashak1989, Run and never look back, before it is to late, RUN !!!

Possibly of interest:
https://www.chess.com/article/view/can-anyone-be-an-im-or-gm

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/kids-fight-stereotypes-using-chess-in-rural-mississippi/

http://brooklyncastle.com/

https://www.chess.com/blog/smurfo/book-review-insanity-passion-and-addiction
http://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/26/books/books-of-the-times-when-the-child-chess-genius-becomes-the-pawn.html
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2017/05/05/making-a-living-in-chess-is-tough-but-the-internet-is-making-it-easier/#4284e4814850

https://www.chess.com/news/view/is-there-good-money-in-chess-1838
"... Many aspiring young chess players dream of one day becoming a grandmaster and a professional. ... But ... a profession must bring in at least a certain regular income even if one is not too demanding. ... The usual prize money in Open tournaments is meagre. ... The higher the prizes, the greater the competition. ... With a possibly not very high and irregular income for several decades the amount of money one can save for old age remains really modest. ... Anyone who wants to reach his maximum must concentrate totally on chess. That involves important compromises with or giving up on his education. ... it is a question of personal life planning and when deciding it is necessary to be fully conscious of the various possibilities, limitations and risks. ... a future professional must really love chess and ... be prepared to work very hard for it. ... It is all too frequent that a wrong evaluation is made of what a talented player can achieve. ... Most players have the potential for a certain level; once they have reached it they can only make further progress with a great effort. ... anyone who is unlikely to attain a high playing strength should on no account turn professional. ... Anyone who does not meet these top criteria can only try to earn his living with public appearances, chess publishing or activity as a trainer. But there is a lack of offers and these are not particularly well paid. For jobs which involve appearing in public, moreover, certain non-chess qualities are required. ... a relevant 'stage presence' and required sociability. ... All these jobs and existences, moreover, have hanging above them the sword of Damocles of general economic conditions. ... around [age] 40 chess players ... find that their performances are noticeably tailing off. ..." - from a 12 page chapter on becoming a chess professional in the book, Luther's Chess Reformation by GM Thomas Luther (2016)
http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/LuthersChessReformation-excerpt.pdf

@kindaspongey

Damn kindaspongey that was such a thorough and complete answer I had to save it!!!!! 

Getting a title especially GM highest of all is like getting highest doctorate degrees or if you are a GM pretty much Nobel prize.

So do you think it's bad to have behind it your back?

I mean sure some people CAN be homeless with doctorate degree and same can be with a GM title, where YOU don't want to earn $ and just go by the rails.

Let me tell you a true story from my life. Years ago I met very wealthy businessman who was looking for a chess teacher (here in Moscow) so I called em and offered my time (I thought he was beginner) he said he was willing to pay 200$ per hour at first and possibly more later on ($ wasn't a big problem for him) I continued talking to him and found out , that he was a CM titled already and want it to improve. He's tequirments were, that I need to be at least an IM and I must have an official documents, proof of my title. Of course I couldn't help him even tho $ was great and as long ago it was really really good $ trust me on this.

So I think you got my point. Having a title and skills of earning big $ it's to different things.

#21

I agree

Don't be so negative or generalize. It's actually a person to person thing. The other might get successful, the next one might not. There are millions of chess players in the world. After years of playing and studying, like you're hypothetically saying, I'm sure that person will not end up one of the worse. In my opinion, all you need is Chessmaster 4000 Turbo. I'm serious. Hee hee...

In most professions you do not really need to be one of the best in the world to make enough money for a good living. 

Someone said "See also: musician". I know it is a stereotype that musicians do not make good money but that is actually BS. A medium-high level musician can make good money by working in an orchestra, playing as a soloist, playing chamber music, giving lessons, making recordings, playing in events such as wedding or dinners and so on. There is more than enough money in music, you just need to have a good level (or have the right contacts), but you definitely do not need to be one of the best in the world. 

If you are one of the best in the world then you will be playing all around the world as a soloist with the best orchestras and you will be a millionaire. 

With most of other professions it is the same. You need to be good (not great) to live well. 

About other sports, indeed there is no much money for certain disciplines (Also depends a lot in which country do you live), but at least you are doing physical activity, you are in excellent physical shape. Big money or not, at least you are respected and you live a healthy life style. 

In chess you need to be one of the best in the world to make good money. If you are good or if you are very good unfortunately is not enough. You really need to be great! 

Chances that you will be among the best 5 players are very very slim. It is a vast minority who have the talent to be in a position like that.