“Choose a job you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” – Confucius
Have you ever thought of making a career in chess?
If you have knowledge of the game and a few other skills to go with it, there are some interesting career opportunities in chess you can explore.
In the last century, the options for chess players were limited. All that has changed now.
Thanks to the internet, the 2020 chess boom and the Netflix superhit series, ‘The Queen’s Gambit’, many new avenues have opened up.
In this article, we’ll explore the different career opportunities in chess. Let’s begin.
1. Professional Chess Player
A legend and a true chess professional – Vishy Anand
This is the most obvious career choice. Almost everyone who starts playing chess wants to become a professional player and achieve titles.
This path is highly competitive and requires lots of dedication, often a lifetime commitment.
You get to travel a lot over the globe, meet new people, explore new cultures while participating in national, and international tournaments. You have to win prizes in the tournament to earn a living.
Once you develop a reputation, it becomes easier to attract sponsors and brand deals.
Many professionals, also work as coaches, which brings us to the next career opportunity in chess…
2. Chess Coach/Trainer
If you have a deep understanding of the game and the gift of teaching, becoming a chess coach could be an excellent career choice.
And if you love transforming the lives of young kids, then it could be an excellent field to choose!
In fact, the knack for teaching, a deep understanding of chess and the drive to create chess champions is what gave birth to the idea of Victorious Chess Academy.
Head coach and founder of VCA, our very own – Kapil Lohana
Chess trainers work with students of all ages, from young kids to adults, helping them improve their game.
They can even work in schools, chess clubs, or offer private coaching. Also thanks to the internet, online chess coaching has become increasingly popular, allowing coaches to connect with their students worldwide.
3. Chess Author/Writer/Journalist
One of the best chess writers – IM Sagaar Shah (Founder of Chessbase India)
The content you’re reading right now is written by a chess writer
Chess tournaments happen all the time. Also, the game has its origin in the 7th century and today it’s played in more than 180 countries!
You can imagine how many stories, and strategies are filled in this rich game.
Someone has to present them to the world, which is why there’s a demand for chess authors and writers.
For those with a flair for writing, you can become a chess author or journalist.
You usually end up authoring books, writing website content, diving into the strategies of the game, biographies of Grandmasters, and historical games, interesting stories around chess, covering live tournaments, conducting interviews with players, and much more!
4. Chess Arbiter
Arbiters are to chess, what referees are to football.
They play a crucial role in ensuring fair play during tournaments by enforcing rules, resolving disputes, and generally overseeing games.
To become a chess arbiter, you need a strong understanding of chess laws and excellent judgment skills.
You also need to pass exams FIDE conducts for arbiters.
India’s top chess arbiter, Gopakumar M.S. | Source: Chessbase India
5. Chess Second
When Viswanathan Anand was playing in the World Championship, he was assisted by his seconds like Peter Heine Nielsen, Surya Shekhar Ganguly, Radosław Wojtaszek and Rustam Kasimdzhanov.
Vishy with his team of seconds | Source: Forbes India
A chess second helps a professional player prepare openings, analyze games, research opponents and provide general assistance.
To become one, you usually need a strong understanding of the game and need to know how to work with chess engines effectively.
And of course, you need to get along well with the player whom you’re going to help
6. Tournament Organizer
Do you have excellent management and organizational skills? Then a career in organizing chess events could be a great choice.
This involves planning, managing the logistics, venue selection, scheduling, onboarding sponsors, marketing the event and so much more.
Most event organizers work closely with local chess clubs, schools, and national chess federations. So if you have any contacts there, you might have a slight headstart.
7. Chess Streamer / YouTuber
Thanks to the rise of Twitch and YouTube, new career paths have opened in chess – you could become a chess streamer or YouTuber. And it’s a very lucrative career if you make it to the top!
As a Youtuber, you can entertain and educate the audience by playing chess games, analyzing famous games, or teaching chess.
Successful chess streamers usually end up building a community around their content, which can be monetized through ad revenue, donations, and brand partnerships.
Chess Youtuber – IM Levy Rozman
Conclusion
Today, chess is not just a game of old kings used to play; it’s also a game of opportunities.
If you have a decent knowledge of chess and other complementary skills to go along with it, there are lots of interesting options you could explore.
And we hope this article presents you with a lot of options to explore.
