How I Made $16.67 Playing Chess Online

When lockdown began, I was let go of my job. I wanted to be physically active, but I was recovering from a knee injury which kept me from riding my bike. A personal situation produced so much anxiety I was unable to focus on interviewing or anything that wasn’t my anxiety. All my routines that kept my day-to-day healthy and productive were no longer possible.

I knew I would eventually get back on track, but I needed a distraction to get me through the immediate chaos. Video games felt wasteful, and I couldn’t focus on books. Then I stumbled onto chess through a couple of streamers on Twitch.

I started studying seriously, and playing for at least four hours a day on Chess.com. I spent so much time staring at the board, I came up with my own mini game. With every opponent, I tried to guess their nationality based on the flag next to their username. Never thought I would play against someone from Palestine or Uzbekistan. I even learned about countries that I had never heard of like Mauritius.

After a couple of months, I was still enjoying the game and slowly increasing my online rating. It became a tool to fight my anxiety, and part of my new daily routine. However, as much as I loved chess, playing alone in my room started to feel empty. I have no professional chess aspirations, but I wanted to feel like I was building up to something.

I decided to participate in an online USCF rated tournament (which simply means it’s officially recognized). There were monetary prizes for the top players making it even more competitive.

Turns out I performed well and tied for second place in my division earning me $16.67! A hilariously random amount. My assumption is that second place was awarded $40.00, but because of the tie it had to be split in two. And then taxes?

The fee to play was $40.00, so I was at a net loss, but something more important had happened. The experience demonstrated that all my work paid off. I was competitive in my division, and felt that I could fit in as a member of my local chess club.

The point is this can happen with any pursuit you undertake in isolation. I’ve found myself in similar situations learning music, math and building software. If you start plateauing or feeling dissatisfied with a meaningful project during lockdown, try finding a way to share it. External validation can be powerful when you’re alone in your room.