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Play Chess For Money Online Without Being An Expert
If traditional work-at-home jobs aren’t quite the right fit, have you considered playing chess? It might sound far-fetched, but you can play chess for money online. You don’t need to be an expert, either; it all comes down to odds, so it’s possible to earn some side cash without making chess your entire career.
I’ve learned all about playing chess for money online, and I’m happy to share what I’ve found out with you!
Play Chess For Money
How Much Money Can You Make Playing Chess Online?
The amount of money you can make playing chess online greatly differs. It all depends on which type of method you use and your skill level. It is also important to note that the site you use plays a key role in the amount of money you could earn.
YouTube and Twitch may be your best options, as you do not have to worry about your opponent cheating or losing large sums of money if you lose a tournament. YouTube and Twitch are the two most profitable ways to make an income playing chess online, as once you have even a small following, it is possible to create a significant, steady income stream for yourself.
YouTube and Twitch do take some time to build a following; therefore, playing in tournaments may be a better option if you want to make money quickly.
Do You Have to be an Expert Chess Player to Make Money Online?
The great thing about making money online playing chess is that you do not have to be an expert. All you need is to have knowledge of the game’s basic fundamentals and have a strategy that outsmarts your opponent.
Furthermore, many of the online chess programs have tutorials and other learning materials. This gives anyone, novice or pro, the opportunity to earn money playing chess online. Therefore, even if you have never played chess before, even in person, you will have the tools to pick up the game quickly.
Although you may begin playing chess online at any skill level, it is important to note that the more skilled you are, the more potential you have to earn big. This is especially prominent on YouTube and Twitch, as people are rarely going to pay to watch someone lose repeatedly.
If you are skilled and have a plethora of knowledge about the game itself, you are much more likely to gain a large following and earn money through both ads and subscribers. Besides playing tournaments on your channel, you could offer useful insights, lessons, and even strategies to your subscribers.
The secret to starting any online business is providing your viewers with value. If they find value in your ability to translate your knowledge of chess to them, or if you are just plain entertaining, you are sure to gain a following eventually.
When it comes to making money online with a particular niche and skillset, it is crucial to develop various tactics that could work in your favor. Therefore, exploring every avenue possible to create a steady income stream.
My advice to you would be to practice and brush up on your skills before hitting the internet. This will allow you to earn much more in the future and gain authority in the chess niche.
Ways to Make Money Online Playing Chess
There are a variety of different ways to make money online playing chess. These opportunities range from streaming online chess events to winning a competitive tournament.
However, there are several precautions you must take to ensure you do not get cheated. There are various chess platforms that allow users to play tournaments and set a bet for how much the winner will receive.
This type of betting could lead to someone not paying you if they lose and cheating you out of your winnings. It is a type of honor system that you trust the opponent enough to make well on their agreement.
Here are a few of the most popular ways in which people make money playing chess online.
Chess Betting
This is one of the easiest and most straightforward ways to begin earning money. This primarily involves participating in a 1v1 tournament against someone else. Many of these online chess websites are free and are easy to use, even for the beginner. Some of these platforms include:
- Chess.com
- Chess24
- Lichess
Although this may be the easiest way to get started with online chess, it is essential to ensure your opponent is trustworthy, who will not cheat with chess software or have someone play for them. Unfortunately, this is a widespread issue with these platforms and often results in players losing considerable amounts of money.
When using one of these platforms, it is critical to discuss the terms of the game. It would help if you determined how much the bet will be and how many rounds are to be played. It is critical to avoid the risk of your opponent cheating as much as possible.
However, there may be some risk involved. You have to trust that the other player will be trustworthy and not log off the game or refuse to pay you if you win. Therefore, you should ensure that you are only playing with a trustworthy opponent who wants to engage in friendly competition.
YouTube
YouTube is the most popular place for publishing videos on the internet. Therefore, it has taken the gaming industry by storm as fellow gamers can watch each other’s videos and even collaborate. This is especially true in the chess niche, as several skilled players have taken to the platform to share their knowledge.
YouTube has become a common way to make money playing chess online by either streaming or posting videos of a tournament. In this case, you have the opportunity to place ads on your channel, have paid subscribers, and allow viewers to donate during live streams.
This is a relatively simple process, as all that is necessary is an online chess program and a quality screen capture program. This is one instance where you do not necessarily have to be skilled in playing chess, just entertaining.
If you would like to try playing chess on YouTube, it is essential to add some context as you play, such as tips, tricks, or even just narration that would allow you to provide additional value to your users.
Your channel will get exciting when you have the opportunity to apply for the YouTube Partnership Program, which allows you to place ads on your channel after reaching 1,000 subscribers.
Although making money playing chess on YouTube is very straightforward, many become discouraged when they find out the sheer amount of competition present in the space. However, it is important to remember that even the smallest YouTube channel can at least make some money.
It is important to remain consistent and post regularly to maintain engagement and enthusiasm among your followers and provide the most value as possible.
Twitch
Streaming is one of the most popular ways to share content on the internet. It allows your viewers to engage in the excitement of a live chess competition. Twitch is popular with many professional chess players, as it will enable you to share your knowledge of the game with others and answer their questions live throughout the stream.
Similar to YouTube, Twitch is another popular streaming service that you could use to your advantage to make some side cash. Twitch is a rather popular streaming platform for various niches; however, gaming seems to be the most common.
Twitch is different from YouTube, as most Twitch users go live, allowing their viewers to watch them play their chess tournaments in real-time. Users on Twitch note that they don’t have to spend as much time creating and editing, as all content is streamed live.
Although you do not necessarily have to have the camera pointed at yourself during the tournament, you should add some context to your stream, such as updates as to what is occurring.
Most Twitch creators make money through paid subscriptions, in which you and Twitch go half and half with the profit made.
Twitch is great for those that want to begin making money online playing chess but have little or no video editing skills.
MBChess.com
Various platforms allow chess players to compete online, and in my opinion, MBChess is one of the best.
MBChess.com is a free platform where you can win prizes for playing online chess; however, you must be 18+ to participate. MBChess is similar to other sites, where you can earn money by winning tournaments.
Getting started on MBChess is relatively straightforward. First, you must set up your profile and purchase points. This points system allows you to go head-to-head with other players and earn more points if you win a tournament.
You can join various tournaments and earn points playing with several other opponents of varying skill levels.
You can cash out once you have a certain amount of points, and the money you earned will be sent to you through Paypal.
This is great for those that would like to begin in the world of competitive chess and want to earn some extra cash while picking up some valuable skills.
What is the Most Profitable Way to Play Chess for Money Online?
In my opinion, YouTube and Twitch are the two most popular methods. They have the most potential for a steady income, as you can gain a following and provide them with value. You could make a significant chunk of change even if your YouTube or Twitch channel is small, as long as you frequently upload value-centric content.
Everyone has to start somewhere, as even the most prominent YouTubers and Twitch streamers were small at one time. Therefore, do not let the competition or the amount of work ahead deter you.
Making money on YouTube and Twitch is much easier than betting on tournaments, as you have more of an opportunity to make a significant profit. Furthermore, you do not have to take precautions against your opponents in the event they try to cheat.
Is it Safe to Play Chess for Money Online?
It is perfectly safe to play chess for money online. However, similar to when you are playing in person, cheating is always a possibility.
It is difficult to prevent cheating when playing chess online, as your opponent is not right in front of you. Your opponent could cheat in a variety of ways, such as using a chess strategy software to make the moves for them or even have someone coaching them.
There are a variety of ways in which you can detect if your opponent is cheating. Often, based on the player’s movements, it will be evident whether it is the player or some automated engine that is playing for them. As you become more skilled, it will become easier to detect these types of cheating attempts.
Because the various online chess platforms have realized this dilemma, they have implemented a few features to combat cheating. One of the most prominent is that players cannot switch tabs or exit the browser while playing in a tournament. Although this is effective in some instances, it is still possible to cheat with another device.
What Next?

Playing chess online is a fun, creative, and thought-provoking way to make extra cash. It allows you to pick up some additional skills and engage in comradery with those with similar interests.
Playing chess online for money is a great way to introduce yourself to the world of competitive chess. You can test your skills against some of the best players in the world, have fun, and earn a bit of extra income while you’re at it.
Playing chess for money online is also a great way to broaden your skill set. It allows you to take advantage of obtaining information from the variety of skilled players you will encounter. So go ahead, try it for yourself; the pawn is in your end now and if you need to inspiration watch the Queen’s Gambit on Netflix.
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