How much do chess players really make in 2025? From million-dollar prize winnings at elite tournaments to the harsh financial reality faced by most professional chess players, this video breaks down chess prize money, tournament earnings, and how income is distributed across the chess world. Using official prize data from major international events, we explore how top grandmasters earn their money, why only a small percentage of players make a full-time living from chess, and how most professionals rely on coaching, streaming, sponsorships, and other income sources to survive.The Top Chess Prizewinners In 2025, And How Much They Won - Chess.com
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Magnus Carlsen is widely regarded as one of the most dominant players in chess history, with record-breaking success across classical, rapid, and blitz formats, a peak rating of 2882, and victories in elite events such as the World Chess Championship, Candidates Tournament, World Cup, Tata Steel, and Norway Chess. In this discussion video, we examine Magnus Carlsen’s major accomplishments, explore why his playing style is so unique compared to other world champions, analyse his mentality and competitive attitude at the highest level, and look at what fellow grandmasters, rivals, and commentators have said about his place in chess history and the ongoing GOAT debate.
The 2025 World Rapid & Blitz Championship heads to Doha, Qatar, with Magnus Carlsen officially confirmed in a stacked field featuring many of the world’s strongest players across the Open and Women’s events. In this preview, we break down the tournament format, prize fund, schedule, confirmed participants, notable absentees, recent controversies surrounding FIDE and Carlsen, and the key storylines to watch as rapid and blitz chess take center stage once again at one of the most exciting events on the chess calendar.
Cheating in chess has become one of the most serious threats to the integrity of the game, affecting online play, titled competitions, and player trust at every level. This video examines how widespread cheating has fueled paranoia, damaged competitive fairness, and created an environment where suspicions cannot easily be proven or disproven, while also analyzing Chess.com fair play statistics from November 2025, my own encounters with confirmed cheaters since June 2025, and multiple Untitled Tuesday events impacted by disqualifications, alongside a reflection on the human cost this crisis has placed on the chess community.
The Total Chess World Championship Tour is FIDE’s newest world title concept, combining fast classical, rapid, and blitz into a single championship, but its qualification system has already sparked major debate. In this video, we break down how players qualify for the Total Chess World Championship, why ratings dominate the selection process, how rapid and blitz champions are rewarded, and whether this system truly reflects the idea of a “total chess player.” With confirmed spots for world champions like Gukesh Dommaraju and Ju Wenjun, heavy reliance on classical ratings, and limited places from faster formats, this format raises serious questions about fairness, legitimacy, and the future of world championship chess.
The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam South Africa 2025 brings together the strongest lineup of elite players anywhere in the world, featuring Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Vincent Keymer, Levon Aronian, Arjun Erigaisi, Hans Niemann, Parham Maghsoodloo, and Javokhir Sindarov competing across Cape Town in one of the most anticipated freestyle events of the year. This video breaks down every player profile, world ranking, classical ELO, freestyle rating, current form, storylines, and competitive history, while also covering event news including Hans Niemann’s Diving Chess victory, press releases, global expansion ambitions, and the partnership announcement with Duolingo. This is the complete guide to understanding the South Africa Grand Slam, its top contenders, and the significance of hosting the world’s best in one of the most extraordinary venues on the chess calendar.
SuperPogChamps 2025 brings together the strongest lineup of celebrities, streamers, esports stars, and past PogChamps champions in the most competitive amateur chess event ever. Featuring Andrea Botez, Tyler1, Masi Oka, SonicFox, Samay Raina, Voyboy, Wirtual, Sparg0, and more, this edition delivers high-level battles, intense tiebreaks, dramatic group-stage fights, and a $50,000 prize fund. With a 10+5 time control, round-robin groups, and a knockout bracket, SuperPogChamps 2025 offers fast chess, unpredictable matchups, and some of the most entertaining games in PogChamps history. This video covers the full breakdown, highlights, key players, format, upsets, and standout moments from the sweatiest PogChamps ever.
In this long-form review I break down the dramatic 2025 FIDE World Cup, the unexpected Candidates qualifications of Javokhir Sindarov, Wei Yi, and Andrey Esipenko, and how these results reshape the road to the 2026 FIDE Candidates. I also analyze the current FIDE Circuit standings, Praggnanandhaa’s commanding lead, Anish Giri’s chase, and the slim but mathematically possible scenario in which Magnus Carlsen overtakes Hikaru Nakamura for the rating spot. With key performances, Circuit rules, and a surprise Candidates lineup forming, this video covers everything happening at the top level of chess as the 2025 season reaches its decisive phase.
In this video I explore whether Lichess is harming the chess ecosystem by being completely free, analysing how Lichess tools, studies, and training features accidentally disrupted the chess economy, the lack of monetization options for creators, the limitations of Chess.com and Chessable, and how emerging platforms like ChessWeb.site aim to build a sustainable marketplace for chess courses, private studies, professional preparation, and creator ownership. This discussion covers the future of chess monetization, creator compensation, free chess platforms, and the evolving digital landscape of online chess.
The 2025 Speed Chess Championship enters its most thrilling phase as Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Alireza Firouzja, Hans Niemann, and Ian Nepomniachtchi headline the quarterfinals through to the finals. With blitz and bullet chess battles featuring elite players like Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So, and Denis Lazavik, fans can expect high-speed tactics, precision, and psychological warfare. We break down each quarterfinal matchup, review key statistics, and preview who might lift the Speed Chess Championship 2025 title — and claim qualification for the 2026 Esports World Cup.
The 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament and FIDE Women’s Candidates will be held in Cyprus at the luxurious Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort from March 28 to April 16, 2026. This historic announcement marks the return of the Candidates to Europe after Toronto 2024, bringing the final step of the FIDE World Championship cycle to the Mediterranean for the first time. The world’s top eight players, qualified through the FIDE World Cup 2025, FIDE Grand Swiss 2025, and FIDE Circuit, will battle in a double round-robin event for the right to challenge the reigning World Champion in November 2026. With a record one-million-euro prize fund, beautiful seaside venue, and global anticipation, the 2026 FIDE Candidates promises to be a landmark moment in modern chess.
The 2025 FIDE World Cup in Goa, India, brings together 206 of the world’s top chess players from over 80 nations for one of the year’s most anticipated events. From October 30 to November 27, competitors will battle through a knockout format for a $2 million prize fund and three qualification spots for the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament. With reigning World Champion Gukesh D, elite stars like Fabiano Caruana, Magnus Carlsen, and Anish Giri, and India’s new generation of prodigies, the stage is set for a historic tournament at the stunning Resort Rio in Goa.
I take one final look at Vladimir Kramnik’s two official statements following the tragic death of Daniel Naroditsky. I analyze his key claims, legal threats, and the ethical questions surrounding his actions, while examining FIDE’s response and their repeated failures in managing public crises within chess. I also draw parallels between Kramnik’s current controversy and Hans Niemann’s case, revealing how both highlight systemic issues in FIDE’s governance. This will be my final video on Kramnik until the results of FIDE’s official investigation are released.
In this podcast, I break down the newly announced Total Chess World Championship Tour, officially approved by FIDE and organized by Norway Chess. We’ll explain the format (fast classical + rapid + blitz), the timeframe (pilot in 2026, full season 2027), the prize structure, how qualification will work, and what this means for the existing world championship ecosystem. Importantly — we also analyze how this could influence Magnus Carlsen’s possible return to world title contention under a format he might prefer. If you’re serious about chess’s future, this tour is your must-watch.
After months away from over-the-board competition since the 2025 South African Open Chess Championships, I’m officially returning to competitive chess. This video marks the next step on the road to chess glory as I prepare for the UJ Chess Trials on October 11 and the UJ Open 2025 (B Section) on October 18. I break down the format, time controls, prizes, and what these tournaments mean for my return to form. Follow along as I share insights, expectations, and the excitement of getting back into the competitive chess arena.
Hikaru Nakamura’s dramatic celebration at Checkmate: USA vs India — where he tossed Gukesh’s king into the crowd — has ignited one of the most polarizing debates in modern chess. In this video, we explore the full controversy surrounding Hikaru’s actions, from the passionate defense by commentators like Nemo to sharp criticism from figures like Kevin Goh Wei Ming. Was it enthusiasm in a high-energy exhibition, or did it cross the line of sportsmanship? We break down the reactions from the chess community, including insights from John Bartholomew, Neetu Khandelwal, and others, to understand what this moment means for the future of chess as a spectator sport.
The highly anticipated Checkmate: USA vs India 2025 chess showdown brings the game back to the stadium stage in Arlington, Texas. Featuring superstar matchups like Hikaru Nakamura vs Gukesh Dommaraju and Fabiano Caruana vs Arjun Erigaisi, along with Carissa Yip, Divya Deshmukh, Levy Rozman, Sagar Shah, Tani Adewumi, and Ethan Vaz, this unique event combines world-class chess with the drama of live sports. With fast time controls, no resignations allowed, and a fan-friendly festival atmosphere, Checkmate: USA vs India promises to redefine how chess is experienced around the world.
Episode 11 takes a deep look at FIDE’s newly announced “anti-farming rule,” effective October 2025, which directly targets players rated 2650 and above. By removing the 400-point cap when calculating rating differences, the regulation makes it far riskier for elite grandmasters—such as Hikaru Nakamura—to face much lower-rated opponents. We break down exactly what the rule means, how it impacts tournament strategy, and its implications for rating integrity, inflation, and fairness at the very highest level of chess.
In Episode 10, we dive into one of the hottest debates in chess right now—Hikaru Nakamura’s controversial pursuit of a Candidates spot for the 2026 FIDE World Chess Championship. Rather than depending solely on traditional elite events like the Grand Swiss or World Cup, Hikaru has been accused of strategically facing much lower-rated opponents to secure rating points. We break down the arguments from both sides: is this smart strategy within the rules, or an abuse of the system? We also explore the impact on casual players unexpectedly paired with the world number two, the fairness of the current qualification cycle, and whether FIDE should consider reforms.
In this debut episode of the Maverick Chess Podcast, we review the dramatic conclusion of the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. GM Anish Giri claimed clear first in the Open with a brilliant final-round win, while GM Matthias Bluebaum secured the second Candidates spot on tiebreaks. In the Women’s section, GM Vaishali Rameshbabu repeated her 2023 success, edging out GM Kateryna Lagno to take the title and book her place in the 2026 Women’s Candidates.
We break down:
🔝 How Giri outplayed Niemann to clinch victory
🏆 Bluebaum’s tiebreak heroics against Firouzja & Keymer
👑 Vaishali’s back-to-back Grand Swiss titles
🌍 Rising stars like Andy Woodward & Abhimanyu Mishra making waves
🎯 What these results mean for the 2026 Candidates Tournaments
This episode captures all the key games, storylines, and surprises from one of the most important events on the road to the World Chess Championship.