Why seek to become a professional chess player? What are the prospects?

I am often asked: Why people continue to play chess? What they do for you? What are the prospects of chess? Especially for you, friends and readers of the Fenix-64, I dedicate this article.

Let’s start with the most simple, to become a candidate master may optionally each. It will give your child? First of all, it can get a job in 16 years. No one knows how the rest of life in the future and what kind of knowledge can be useful to him in the future. And with the new reforms in education, where it is planned to introduce chess as an additional lesson in the school curriculum, lack of jobs in the future for this specialty will not, but rather the opposite.

Some perspective of chess, is that many universities in the recruitment of students prefer it to athletes. There are many universities. In this case, studying chess will help ensure the child for higher education for free, which will save a considerable sum of money. For example, in 2012 the average cost of education is from 500 to 700 euros a year.

Having reached the highest rank in chess grandmaster level prospects much more. First of all, how many jobs do you know where to retire in 7 years? Personally, I know that the military retire after 20 years of service, teachers can retire on superannuation, having worked for 25 years. A sportsman, a team consisting of Ukraine (the first team not to be confused with a reserve), can retire after 7 years. Really cool :)) Can the age of 20 to become a pensioner …

Moreover athletes who are in the national team receive scholarships. In Ukraine it is about 350 euros per month, while the average salary in the country, roughly 200 euros.

The next possibility is to rest and travel. I will say this, the prospect of chess are smart – you can travel the whole world is absolutely free and even get paid for it. How so? Often our athletes are invited to play for the clubs around the world. These clubs are fully pay for travel, accommodation, food + provide seed money. And for the successful performance pay bonus compensation. How many professions where you can rest for free and get paid? I personally do not know any.

And of course the prizes received at the event. How long should I work to get 8000 euros? Each is a different time, but is not the point. The prize fund of the championship of Ukraine among men was just 8,000 euros. And it is this amount you get by playing 10 days. Of course, before you reach that point, you do not need to invest a little time, effort and even money. But I will say this, winning once, you already have a decent income. But in tournaments abroad such prizes are common. Won 50,000 euros, you can buy an apartment. How old to work, to raise such a sum? So here, dear friends, to judge you, it worth it, as they say.

I also want to remind you that by engaging in athletics, boxing, football and other active sports, the likelihood of injury is very high. Moreover, the average age of retirement from sports such 30 (Klitschko exceptions). In chess you can play all your life. This is another perspective of chess. This example shows us Viktor Kortchnoi, who is now 82 years and it continues to play.

Author Yulia Semenova 

creator of the project Fenix64