Profesional Chess players. Is it posible to live playing chess?

Hello, I have one question than its around my mind since some years; is it posible to live playing chess? Which level you need to can live with that.

Note than I'm not including the money chess players can make making books, making youtube channels, or making other stuff relationated with chess, I'm only talking about PLAYING chess, doing tournaments and other oficial games.

What level do you need to start to live only playing chess? CM? IM? GM?

Well, as far as I know, almost every chess profesionals doesn't just play.

The Super-GMs (>2700) probably don't need to give lessons or to write books to have a decent life, but they're an exception.

I don't know for players between 2500 and 2700 (GMs) the pourcentage of tournament prices in their income, but I guess they rely on individual / collective lessons.

For players below 2500 (CMs, FMs, IMs), I know that tournament prices are for them an income supplement.

I can be wrong, but I don't think you can live only playing chess if you're not at least 2500-2600 elo.

@Thorini, cool name bro, are Asgardian? :)

Well lets do the financial math for one second, I agree with Gateau you can't lump all GMs in one bracket so here goes

For World Champs - Paid appearance fees of $10K per elite tournament, on average 8 elite tournaments per year. $80K before counting any prize money. Yes can live on playing chess

Super GMs - Paid appearance fees $2-$5K per elite tournament, on average 10 elite tournaments per year. $20K-$50K before counting prize money. Can just about manage especially if they win prize money.

International GMs - No appearance fee. No elite tournament. Prize money on average $1K - $5K per tournament, 15 tournaments per year $20K - $75K if they win every single tournament they play....which is very unlikely. Cannot survive on income from chess playing alone.

Lower rated titled players - Are you kidding me?? Cannot survive on money from chess playing alone.

Chess lessons at schools: $60-80 per lesson a week, per school.

Hosting Monthly Chess Tournaments on Saturday: $200-300 as Tournament Director. $50-70 to help out as Assistant TD.

Private lessons: $$$$ 20-30 a lesson

I'm not a titled player, but I get supplemental money from chess. I have yet to compete in big tournaments for money, but I will be this year!

It's not a lot to survive on though. But it's still good money ;)

If I was an IM, I could probably live off doing nothing but chess related stuff. It all depends on where you live, how much chess people in the area like, etc.

> I'm only talking about PLAYING chess, doing tournaments and other official games.

I'm pretty sure only the very best of all players (like top 50 or something) can rely on their tournament prizes as their major income source. But even them don't actually rely on it and instead have sponsors (for the most famous) and chess-related activity (for instance working for chess websites, like Peter Svidler and Vishy Anand on chess24).

In fact I believe that your question is not specific to chess, but can be generalized to professional sports. Aside from team sports where a player is hired with a proper contract, many professional sportsmen do not rely solely on their competitive results. That would be risky, since nobody is immune to catastrophic performance in a given year.

@grondilu
Yes sponsorship is a huge part of an exclusive club of elite chess player's income. I then it is only about Top 10 men and an even smaller selection female players who have significant sponsorship.

RedBull, chess.com and NRK are some of the biggest sponsors, each sponsoring a single or multiple chess players and chess events.

The questions was about income from playing chess, endorsements and sponsorship do form part of that income so great point made.

you can be a fide arbiter.