[MicroBob]

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But here I was talking to perhaps the greatest American talent since Bobby Fischer,

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wonders who this is (not expecting you to say...just my natural curiousity).
i havent been keeping up with chess nearly as much the past couple of years so there's even a chance i haven't heard of him.


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However I believe that the prizes need to be higher than they are now. High enough so that the top 10-20 players in the US, can expect to make at least 50k-100k a year in prize money.

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i agree. the fact that many of the country's very top chess-players can't make a semi-decent income is sad.

i just came back from a new orleans vacation and walked past jude acers' table a couple times. didn't have time for a game.....he's not one of the top 10 in the country obviously, but i always wondered how much he makes sitting in the french-quarter all day offering to play games (and give mini-lessons) at $5 a pop.

very nice guy and an enjoyable game when i sat at his table for a game a few months ago.


obviously, some of the US GM's can do better if they can expand their chess outside of just playing comptetively (lessons, simuls, books, etc) ...but that just takes their income from awful to not-as-awful in most cases.
plus, it possibly holds you back from being the best possible player you could become. does Gregory Kaidanov fit this profile??


i think what you are trying to do is very noble and if more chess-players thought creatively like this chess would certainly have an opportunity to thrive more in the U.S. than it currently does (in NY and out)


i have always been interested in coaching a chess-team H.S. level or younger (i'm only 1400 USCF) just because i think it's a good game for youths to learn and i think i could be a decent teacher and would enjoy it.
now that i have a bit more spare time thanks to my poker career i may look into this idea more seriously.


anyway, good luck with your efforts.
i believe your name is curtains at stars so i will transfer a small but heart-felt donation.


btw - for any newbies around here who don't know curtains and may think it is some sort of elaborate begging-scheme....i can assure you this is on the up and up.
greg and his sister are both familiar names to anyone who has read Chess Life magazine regularly the past 10 years or so.