Only the top players can earn money
Last updated
Last updated
The vast majority of chess players simply don’t earn money from the game. In fact, they spend lots of money on boards, tutors, and traveling to tournaments.
According to Hercules Chess, a resource blog for learning chess, the best players earn more than $100,000 USD per year, with the top 3 earning more than $1 million. Still, only a small portion earn money.
Considering that 1 billion people play chess, there are undoubtedly untapped earning opportunities¹⁰
Salary
Number of players
$10 min/year
No one
Over $1 min/year
Top 3 in the world
Over $200k
Top 10
Over $100k
Top 50