Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-10-16
PROFESSIONAL CHESS PROFITS.
The Pecuniary Rewards Small In View oS
Demands on the Intellect.

Demands on the Intellect.
Professional chess players, consider.
ing the labOrious nature of their work
the character o. njud, and the long Pc
paratory study required, are probably as
al paid a. ?ny kind Of intellectual
@osheIs. Tn OCCASIONAL chess PLAYER
who carur ,.@ ~ pl'T noe &. aIa,'.
cent modest ~ ~ Ia il ,,...y ...~, casfui
imam. Aa eXpcrl : .v ~ hirod 10 run
Gloss aata a,.'. - with al
Gomez ~ saia'" ...., ,,'''" TYNE
0rii can. T re III all t..o nurl6
LiD-"o.y joss ,...... f hundred high
y s....,d prof, lal chess players
Ahc Hastings IGNITION brought to
gc.hri =. and humber was notable
y TrN ,.',a -s!4nal chess pltytrs are
anon 81 mo3''' f7'1 80 80 most part tia
pa.- - ~ t.' -.....- Ids the profes-
,.onoi i'iA ~ - IN, asido material con
sldet,.,.G..s lI 90. /, .OlIOW his bent
some 81 tno U.st known players dress
shabbily and live plainly. The abiesJ
and most successful usually exc Cut Their
incomes made directly from the game
by writing ON chess, discussing prob
lens aud the like. Books on chess sue.
coed one another rapidly, but none has
a large sale. They are costly TO 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
70 only few thousand dollars, and "a
stake of - 600 is a large one. Amateurs
who far outnumber the professionals,
provide the purses and meet the expenses
Of the match games IT. 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 il 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 "a day with all Corners at
a place of amusement was accustomed
to follow his days work with two hours
Of labCrious study Of special chess prob
lens 1t was this spirit that made Paul
Morphy Of New Orleans abandon a
promising career at the bar and cling to
he 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 maia-
tain anywhere very large chess club.
One Of the largest in the world is in this
city, yet 1t is not large club compared
with other successful clubs formed on
different lines 1t is almost impossible
IN this country to form a large chess
club on any but socially democratic
lines. Some of the best amateur chess
players are mechanics who would find
he atmosphere of the ordinary social
club quite uncomfortable. There is
strong contingent Of good chess players
n the German quarter. They frequent
4 locally famous club, lodged in an old
house down Second avenue, but known
to chess experts the country over.
There are some oddly placed chess ex
perts in remote villages who come TO
New lOIk perhaps once year, as 10
the chess headqua. ers of tic country.
One such man is a lank officer and gen
eral factotum in snail order state
city. Although occupied with a thou
sand business details he finds time to
conduct games h. correspondence with
European exl RS to arrange chess tour
naments and ~ WTlte upon chess. When
no 70 No ha H,,e,
self among chess players to the neglect
Of all his friends not equally devoted to
the game. New York Sun.