Neamul Chess Academy .

09/05/2026

09/04/2026

“Chess Paid No Money at All” - Hikaru Nakamura

Speaking on his YouTube channel, GM Hikaru Nakamura opened up about why he started exploring poker and the stock market as a teenager.

In the 2000s, professional chess in the U.S. offered very little financial security. At just 15–16 years old, Hikaru began wondering whether chess could really provide a sustainable career.

With few major events in America and big opportunities largely reserved for the world’s elite, he started looking for other ways to make money.

“Chess paid no money at all.”

Since he didn’t attend regular school, pursuing a degree would have taken significant time. Instead, he spent time learning about poker and the stock market.

Hikaru also recalled that playing chess for money simply wasn’t common at the time.

Today, the chess world is a very different place, with major tournaments offering hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money.



📷: Lennart Ootes

09/03/2026

Nearly 600,000 New York City public school students will be barred from using artificial intelligence in the classroom and face strict new limits on screen time under a sweeping technology policy Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels are expected to unveil Wednesday. https://7ny.tv/mwGkBY