Unless you're a GM / super-GM, you can't make much money playing chess for a living. I think that's why most of them write books, give lessons, or give lectures. I think most GM's even have regular jobs. Famous GMs like Kasparov and Kramnik can play computers for money. Class prizes at tournaments are either 1) small, 2) for a really large field and are spread out over several places, or 3) both 1 and 2.

I'm 1800 USCF and my biggest payday was $750 at NA Open five or six years back when I placed somewhere in the U1800. I won an amazing $200 a few years ago for winning our state championship (my highlight tourney, went 4.5/5 scalped a former master, an expert, two 1900's and drew a 2100.) Overall, I've probably won $1200 or so over thirteen years of competitive chess.

My biggest poker payday was $5K for placing second in a Paradise tourney (the payouts were stacked for places 1-5 only.) I can usually make $200 in a week of playing 3-6 or 4-8. So yeah, poker's more lucrative by far. That's why all my chess friends gave up chess for poker.

ScottieK