One of the top young chess talents in the richest country in the world and much of the article is about money and how even the top prizes arent enough to cover travel expenses! This is typical around the world, not just in the USA where chess is far from a mainstream sport. Bringing more commercial sponsorship into chess will help not only at the grassroots and education base, but also allow young talents like Sam, who is part of the Kasparov Chess Foundations program, a shot at following their dreams of becoming the next Fischer or Carlsen. A chess career is not for everyone but it should be a viable path for those who wish to seek it and who have the talent and work ethic to reach the elite level. I dont expect American chess champions to be treated like rock stars the way they are in Armenia in the near future, but with better promotion at least at the level of a virtuoso classical musician!
Posted on: Mon, 30 Jun 2014 05:00:26 +0000