How do you make money from playing chess?

Question

Not that I'm saying I'm on their level, but how much can grandmasters like Anand and Topalov expect to make in a year?

Answer 1

I guess you could enter a contest and win or people could sponsor you

Answer 2

They find some one willing to pay them to play.

I guess theoretically one could keep winning tournaments a collecting prizes, etc.  That, however, is risky as heck.

Answer 3

Enjoy playing chess, and keep your day job.  Still ...

Grandmasters like Anand and Topalov earn millions of dollars playing chess.

International Masters playing in USCF tournaments earn thousands of dollars.

A twelve-year-old master won thousands of dollars this year in just one event.

People at my level earn hundreds of dollars playing at a local chess tournament.

People at my cousin's level earn hundreds of dollars playing in scholastic events.

High profile players may get undisclosed appearance fees and

free accommodations to participate in sponsored tournaments.

Don't forget merchandizing, book deals, teaching,

and many other chess-related opportunities

People earning hundreds of dollars playing in chess means:

"Keep your day job". The money isn't there as much as something like golf.

Grandma made more money playing Bingo at Foxwoods Resort Casino.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxwoods_Re...

Here are some examples of opportunities for players of different levels:

The prize for the World Chess Champion is millions of dollars, negotiated.

“FIDE regulations allow every world champion that has lost the title to

challenge the title holder. The total prize fund is 1.5 million dollars."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Chess...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veselin_Top...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viswanathan...

Thursday, November 2, 2000, Classical World Chess Championship, London:

Vladimir Kramnik became the 14th world chess champion with a 8.5-6.5 result against Gary Kasparov. Kramnik won the lion’s share of the two-million dollar price money,

http://www.worldchesschampionship.com/co...

FIDE, Fédération Internationale des Échecs,

is the (international) World Chess Federation.

As an example of what is available from FIDE for GMs

is that FIDE lists Prize Money & Grand Prix Points

of 30,000 euros for 1st Place at

http://grandprix.fide.com/regulations.ht...

Unless you're going to be an international GM (GrandMaster) soon,

you might be most interested in tournaments here.

USCF is the United States Chess Federation.

Observe the already in progress, 109th Annual U.S. Open

that has a $40,000 Guaranteed Prize Fund.

There's something for You to look forward to for next year.

http://main.uschess.org/assets/msa_jooml...

Keep an eye out for the annual 2008 World Open Chess that reported

Tournament Prizes of $400,000 based on 1450 paid entries, played at

Sheraton Philadelphia City Center Hotel, Philadelphia, PA.

http://monroi.com/2008-world-open-chess-...