Chess dying out in Europe? Austrian GM Blohberger makes sensational claims, says ‘troublesome to make a residing from chess’

Austrian Grandmaster Felix Blohberger has raised necessary considerations in regards to the monetary struggles confronted by chess gamers, particularly European GMs, outdoors the world’s high 30 rankings. In a hard-hitting YouTube video addressing the financial challenges in skilled chess, the 22-year-old Blohberger — who can also be a streamer and coach — emphasised that it’s troublesome to “make a residing with taking part in chess by itself.” He additional famous that European skilled chess gamers “will be unable to compete way more” sooner or later in comparison with their Asian counterparts, as event prize cash has stagnated for many years.

Titled “Being a Chess Skilled (in Europe) sucks,” the video was printed on Blohberger’s official YouTube channel, the place he has 3.84k subscribers. Within the description, the Austrian chess champion wrote: “The purpose of this video is to begin a constructive dialogue on the best way to enhance issues for skilled chess gamers.”

‘Issues should change to maintain skilled chess alive in Europe’

Additional within the video, Blohberger clarified that he doesn’t intention to create any controversy however needs to level out the necessity for modifications to maintain “skilled chess” alive in Europe. “This video just isn’t there responsible anybody or to place disgrace on something in any respect. It’s merely to deal with the issues as I see it, as a chess participant residing in Europe, and a few issues that, for my part, ought to be improved if skilled chess in Europe needs to remain alive,” Blohberger stated.

Blohberger has identified two main issues that threaten skilled chess in Europe. As per him, the excessive value of residing in Europe and the shortage of recognition for skilled chess killing the way forward for the game within the continent.

Giving an instance, Blohberger stated that whereas the prize cash is similar for a European and Asian participant in a chess competitors, the worth of it differs within the continents, making it robust for European gamers to maintain after such wins.

“If each of those gamers have the identical score… and so they play the identical tournaments… they’ll, on common, make the identical prize cash, let’s say, and this prize cash is in fact value far more on this case in India than in Germany,” Blohberger stated.

He added that prizes for chess tournaments and honorary stipends not rising for many years have additionally not helped.

Blohberger additionally identified that Asian gamers are receiving nice recognition from their governments whereas European gamers are awarded pennies.

He identified that Uzbekistan payers had been awarded flats, automobiles and money prizes by the nationwide authorities after profitable the 2022 Olympiad gold. The All India Chess Federation (AICF) additionally introduced money rewards of Rs 3.2 crore for the
2024 Chess Olympiad-winning Indian males’s and ladies’s groups. D Gukesh was awarded
Rs 5 crore by the Tamil Nadu Authorities after he gained the World Chess Championship 2024.

Blohberger stated the European gamers on the identical time are getting nothing from governments regardless of making their nation proud on the Olympiad. He stated {that a} European who gained a person board prize on the 2024 Chess Olympiad with a efficiency of 2800 was not acknowledged upon returning to his nation. Equally, German GM Frederik Svane earned particular person gold on board 5 and was awarded simply €3,000.

“I don’t suppose European skilled gamers will be capable of compete way more sooner or later, no less than on the very excessive stage, just because there’s not sufficient motivation to go there from a monetary standpoint,” Blohberger stated.

Blohberger: ‘can’t make a residing by taking part in chess’

Focussing on how chess as knowledgeable sport is unviable for lower-ranked gamers, Blohberger stated that “in chess, for those who’re not within the high 30, you can’t actually simply make a residing with taking part in chess by itself.”

Blohberger felt that chess needs to be made extra widespread to enhance issues and fast and blitz occasions can try this as a result of in classical chess “there’s not that a lot taking place and likewise the principles are far more difficult”.

He added that creating content material is at the moment the best choice for lower-ranked chess gamers.