The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1896-04-08
PROFESSIONAL CHESS PROFITS,
The Pecuniary Rewards Small In View Of
Demands on the Intellect.

The Pecuniary Rewards Small In View Of
Demands on the Intellect.
Professional chess players, consider
ing the laborious nature Of their work,
the character of mind. and the long pre-
paratory study required, are probably as
i'll paid as any kind Of intellectual
workers. The professional chess player
who earns by his play more than de-
cent modest living is highly successful
man. An expert may be hired to run a
chess automaton and play with all
comers ut a salary less than some type
writers earn. There are in ali the world
probably less than half hundred high
ly skilled professional chess players.
The Hastings convention brought to-
eether 90, and the number was notable.
A few professional chess players are
men of means, but for the most part the
passion for the game leads the profess
sional player to put aside material con-
siderations in order TO follow his bent
Some of the best known players dress
shabbily and live plainly. The ablest
and most successful usually eke ont their
incomes made directly from the game
by writing on chess, discussing prob
lens, aud the like. Books ON chess sue
ceed one another rapidly, but none has
a large sale. They are costly 70 produce,
and the stereotype plates are of small
value The aggregate Of considerable
prizes offered in chess contests through
out the world amounts in any one year
to only few thousand dollars, and q
stake of 81 900 is large one. Amateurs,
who far outnumber the professionals,
provide the purses and meet the expenses
of the match games. st. Petersburg is an
important chess center, and there the
travelling expenses Of the professionals
are made up by the local clubs.
Professional chess players are rarely
men of liberal education and usually
men of one idea. Chess has been the di-
version Of great and broad minded men,
but it is commonly the business of men
devoted to one idea. The professional
chess player seems tireless in the pursuit
Of the game. One whose duty it was to
play six hours day with all comers at
place of amusement was accustomed
to follow his day S work with two hours
of laborious study Of special chess prob
lens. 1t was this spirit that made Paul
Morphy of New Orleans abandon n
promising career at the bar and cling TO
the game until his physician warned
him that he must give it up or lose his
reason.
Famous as chess has long been, there
are comparatively few really skilled
amateurs and it is impossible to main
tain anywhere very large chess club.
One Of the largest in the world is in this
city, yet il is not q large club compared
with other successful clubs formed on
different lines 1t is almost impossible
in this country to form large chess
club on any hut socially democratic
lines. Some of the best amateur chess
players are mechanics who would find
the atmosphere of the ordinary social
club quite uncomfortable. There is q
strong contingent Of good chess players
in the German quarter. They frequent
locally famous club, lodged in an old
house down Second avennue, but known
to chess experts the country over.
There are some oddly placed chess ex
perts in remote villages who come tC
New York perhaps once a year, as tc
the chess headquarters of the country
One such man is bank officer and gen
eral factotum in a small border stat,
city. Although occupied with thou
sand business details he finds time t.
conduct games by correspondence witt
European experts, to arrange chess tour
naments and to write upon chess. Wher
he comes to New York, he busies him
self among chess players to the neglec
Of all his friends not equally devoted t.
the game. e.-New York Sun.