One last question: can you make a living from chess??

GM Reinderman seems to be alive, so I would say yes.

A general answer (since it is indeed an interesting question):
living from playing chess alone is not easy below say 2650, but from my own experience I can say that if you start combining things (training, coaching, writing, etc.) chess becomes a very attractive option.

If this section is truly devoted to helping develop chess talent with good advice, then we should refrain from allowing anwsers to important questions like - What would your advice be to young people? If you didn’t watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail yet, download it or check Youtube.

As much as I appreciate Monty Python, this advice is useless to the developing chess player and it lessens the good intentions of Developing Chess Talent.

Respectfully,
Harold Scott

Actually, as a respected trainer, I think 'Life of Brian' helps better in developping chess.

Harold, can you think of an answer to the question which is useful for all young people without it being a platitude or something and still related to chess?

Also from my experience as a coach I can tell that watching Monty Python is an excellent medicine for young players to feel better after a loss....

Mr Reinderman, I wouldn't mind if you answered my question. Can you make a living from chess as a 2600- player?

Yes (as Merijn and Jonathan explained).

What is the amount of money you make in a month by playing, teaching and writing about chess? (Just to compare, I make 2400 euro's a month with a reasonably simple IT-job).

Why, are you considering a switch? :-)

To get a complete picture of the fulltime chess pro, that's all. There's a difference between 1500 and 4000 euros a month. You could call both 'making a living', but it's not exactly the same...

Dimitri, I must say I sort of understand what Harold is saying. If a question can only be answered with a platitude, then maybe it's a bad question. Still, I think a general advice to young players to approach chess with some humour and relativism is a very good one!

The chess pro doesn't exist, it really depends on your level (just like in any field). I can understand if people don't want to publish their income on the internet. Again I can give you a general answer: I make normal money myself, but my friends with a nice career outside chess clearly make more. Chess has its own rewards as GM Gawain Jones remarked (number 2 in this series), so in the end it's a close call and pretty much depends on what you are seeking in life.

By the way, isnt being a chess pro totally boring? I love to play a game once a week, but doing nothing but chess, no thanks!!

Vegeteren, it is called in Dutch.