No, I've never had a job other than being a chess player.
I may play some exhibition games so I don't want to quit the game of chess completely. I just decided and it's a firm decision not to play competitive chess anymore.
... far more people make a living as professional chess players today than ever before. Thanks partly to the availability of computer programs and online matches, there has been a mini-boom in chess interest among young people in many countries.
Being one of the lucky ones I shouldn't be complaining, but for the chess world in general it would be good to find a structure in which chess professionals of lower levels would make a good living as well.
Professional players work almost every day, for hours on end, and the emphasis is on the word 'work.' It can be with a partner or it can be alone, but professional chess is always a pursuit of something new and surprising.
When you first start playing, that's your aim obviously, to win the world title.
I see myself more as an ambassador of the game. And I hope to bring chess to a higher level in the United States. Making bigger tournaments, more interesting events. Making it a respectable profession for young people to be able to pursue in the future.
Top players are privileged in the chess world.
If you are serious about being a professional chess player, do know what your parents think and what their expectations are from you.
The Indians and Chinese have become brilliant chess professionals. They get on a plane and play all over the world. This has led to dramatic pressure on incomes. Nowadays, the best chess player in Argentina can no longer make a living playing chess.
If you want to become a World Champion you should avoid playing in Open tournaments.
A lot of people see a future where you could make a living as a chess player.
I don't consider myself a particularly young chess player. I have been playing in the best tournaments in the world since I was 16 years old. In other sports, if you have been playing for seven years, you are not a young prodigy any more. You're one of the pros.
