Top 10 Richest Chess Players in the World
Are you a lover of the game of chess? Then, turning your love for chess into a professional career can be very rewarding. Numerous chess players have made a name for themselves as well as money. Read through the article carefully to see the leading 10 richest chess players in the world.
Richest Chess Players in the World | Top 10
These are the leading 10 richest chess players in the world:
1. Hikaru Nakamura – $50 million
With a cash flow of $50 million, Hikaru Nakamura tops the list of the 10 richest chess players in the world. He is a Japanese-American chess grandmaster and an online streamer. Nakamura began to play chess at a very tender age, and at the age of 15, he became the youngest American with the rank of a Grandmaster in 2003.
Hikaru Nakamura has won a lot of championships including the US Chess Championship, Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Chess.com Speed Chess Championships, and many others.
2. Magnus Carlsen – $50 million
The 5-time World Chess Champion and Norwegian grandmaster, Magnus Carlsen takes 2nd position among the top richest chess players in the world. He has won the world championships in blitz and rapid chess 5 consecutive times. Also, Magnus has been ranked the No. 1 in the FIDE world chess rankings in 2011.
3. Fabiano Caruana – $13 million
Caruana is an Italian chess player with a net worth of $13 million. He became a grandmaster at the age of 14 for a couple of 11 months and 20 days. Caruana is well-known as the youngest grandmaster in Italian and American history. He has won several chess championships including the Italian Chess Championship, Sinquefield Cup, US Chess Championship, and many others.
4. Garry Kasparov – $5 million
With a net worth of $5 million, Garry Kasparov comes in 4th position among the leading 10 richest chess players in the world. Garry Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster, writer, commentator, and political activist. Also, he is a former World Chess Champion. Kasparov is a recipient of several honors including the Chess Oscars, the Classical World Chess Championship, and many others.
5. Judit Polgar – $5 million
Judit Polgar is a Hungary chess grandmaster and one of the strongest female chess players. She broke several records like being the youngest chess grandmaster at the age of 15 years in 1991. Also, Polgar became the youngest chess player to ever enter the FIDE top 100 players rating list, among other great achievements.
6. Telmour Radjabov – $5 million
With a growing total asset of $5 million, Telmour Radjabov is ranked as the 5th richest chess player in the world. Telmour is an Azerbaijani chess grandmaster and in the 18th position of the world’s chess ranking. He earned the rank of grandmaster at the age of 14 in March 2001 and became the 2nd youngest grandmaster in history.
Telmour Radjabov has won several competitions including the European Team Chess Championship, the 2008 Elista Grand Prix, the 2017 Geneva Grand Prix, FIDE World Cup, and many others.
7. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave – $5 million
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave takes the 7th position among the top 10 richest chess players in the world. He is a French grandmaster with a net worth of $5 million. Several champions won by Maxime Vachier include the French Chess Championship, Biel Grandmaster Tournament, and World Junior Chess Champion, among others.
8. Levon Aronian – $3 million
With a cash flow of $3 million, Levon is an Armenia chess grandmaster and one of the richest chess players in the world. Levon became a chess prodigy and grandmaster at the age of 17 in 2000. He has participated in and won several cups including the FIDE World Cup in 2006, 2008, and 2012, and many others.
9. Viswanathan Anand – $3 million
Viswanathan Anand is an Indian chess grandmaster and a 5-time World Chess Champion with a growing total asset of $3 million. For the first time, Viswanathan was ranked grandmaster in India in 1988. Anand has played with several top chess players including Vladimir Kramnik, Veselin Topalov, and Boris Gelfand, among others.
10. Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik – $2 million
With a growing total asset of $2 million, Vladimir takes the last place among the top 10 richest chess players in the world. Vladimir is a Russian chess grandmaster who has won numerous chess awards and tournaments like the Classical World Chess Champion, Chess Olympiads, FIDE World Champion, and many others.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the Richest Chess Player in the World?
Hikaru Nakamura is the world’s wealthiest chess player.
How Rich is the Richest Chess Player?
Carlsen won the championship 6½–3½ by winning games five, six, and nine and drawing the remainder. Thus he became the new world chess champion, the second-youngest player (after Kasparov) to win the world title. As of October 2022, Magnus Carlsen’s net worth is $50 Million.
How is Nakamura so Rich?
His main income comes from the streaming of him playing or commenting on his games. Recently he has been signed by the powerful Misfits Gaming Group, a video game, and electronic sports company, guaranteeing him an additional income from his streaming platforms.
Who is the Number 1 Player in Chess?
GM Magnus Carlsen is the current world chess champion.
Can Chess make One Rich?
Yes, you can play chess and become wealthy. Unfortunately, most of the wealth is only concentrated at the top. You see this happening in competitive chess tournaments such as the world championships where the cash prizes overshadow the earnings from other tournaments. So, you will need to participate in highly competitive chess tournaments to get rich.
Conclusion
Chess is one of the board games that one could play and make money from. In the write-up above, I highlighted the leading 10 richest chess players in the world with their current net worth. Check out for more details.
Best wishes!
