I am still curious about IMs and GMs who are maybe between 20 and 30. Do these players usually have a full time job? Or is it normal for the parents to be rich? Til example, is it possible for a 25 year old GM to travel all over the place for tournaments if his or her family is in financial trouble?

Obviously a 25 year old GM who has parents who earn more than 5 million € a year probably can travel more, but does that mean that the less financially healthy one has less chances to improve?

Also the other factors, like if one attends university, at any cycle, especially extended, like after undergraduate, postgraduate like Masters, PhD, and postdoctorate where some do not even finish until 35(?!) and then if someone has a full time job. 

Til example, someone who is around 2400 and improving, but does Masters degree or a full-time job, may or may not have a spouse, may or may not have children. Even with a part-time job, how to explain to the human resources that have to take off 1/3rd of the fiscal year to play chess abroad (and not get sacked!)? The cost may or may not break even, and a 2300-2400 probably has less chance than a 2600 who plays abroad in terms of prize win.

One of the big benefits of having an average rating is that you don't need money to play abroad as you can find enough challenges at home. I covered this topic in my last article : http://chess-brabo.blogspot.be/2015/02/challenges.html

Bibs wrote on 01/30/15 at 01:33:52:


I can remember one or two cases where I played against a GM (from Eastern Europe) who didn't smell very nice (always towards the end of a tournament), but no more.
Personally, I always shower and have clean clothes (!) and I only play in tournaments where they supply a decent hotel and food (or some money) otherwise you can't make enough money from prizes to live.
When I started playing professionally the prizes were much, much larger, and the tournaments much weaker (before the Berlin Wall fell) so I made more money playing chess than being a programmer.
After that I made a decent living from tournaments with the addition of writing and a lot of club matches (I played for teams in 6 countries).
I guess the World recession hasn't helped, and there always seems to be less tournaments and more strong players.
Chess is a lot less fun now, I'm afraid, as when I started there no computers, so we didn't have to waste much time preparing and could do more enjoyable things!

I'll only chime in to say that my own limited experience with chess professionals corroborates what's already been said, unfortunately.

That sounds very bad. The cost of the plane must also be big cost on their wallets too. I used to play abroad much earlier, when I was younger. 10 years ago when I played in the highest level event in my life, the World Youths (basically for all U18), I payed cost of plane both ways, with connections, as well as hotel, although if I remember well, part of it was discounted(?). 

The food was provided for lunch, but I remember getting my own for breakfast and dinner. And also I preferred to get my own for lunch if possible because, let me put it mildly, I did not very much like it. So I spent two weeks in the same place with flights to connect both to come and go, and I remember that it cost me quite a lot, and I never fly business in my life. I always fly economy class. 

In later years I noticed that some of my friends played in the same tournament, World Youth, and they put it several times in Vung Tau, South Vietnam. Man can imagine that this is quite far from many places, especially Western Europe, Western Russia, the Americas, and so forth, and long haul flights cost a big amount of money than short haul. So I am not sure how they afford. Also much less, when FIDE has a lesser role, like if someone in Europe or Latin America travelled to play Millionaire Chess Open in Las Vegas, the Canadian Open in Canada, or any of the big events in Khanty-Mansisyk.

From one region from Europe to another, like for example Norway or Sweden by plane to Switzerland would be cheaper. But I meant in general like if the tournament is a bit farther from home in general for anyone, like Norway to Brazil, or the UK to Russia, or those who live in countries wherein tournaments of high calibre or abundant of norm possibilites are very few, like those who live in the USA, Canada, Latin America, etc., and have to travel regularly or face the effect of having a lower than deserved ELO or less norms than they could make had they lived in Europe.

Of course I know some titled players who are from the USA, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, and countries that host very few norm tournaments, they made a very drastic decision and emigrated to Europe, especially Spain, Hungary or Germany, my guess might be that they have a visa or permanent residence status. Of course someone who is not in good financial state would be in more trouble than me when I play against the Wolga Gambit if they did this, but those that do not move abroad live at their home countries but fly long haul almost every month for chess. I suppose that they have the tournament venue cover housing and food, but then that leaves the plane costs. Then also if they have no job, i.e. play professionally, they have no income. Or if they only do chess stuff for a job, then their income is basically from lessons(?) or simuls I guess, how can that break even for them to survive economically?

Til exemple, some of the players whom I know are playing now in Gibraltar Masters. They live maybe 10000 km away, and they play professionally. Perhaps they might go to another country to play again soon thereafter. How does their winnings break even with all of the costs to do this?