--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Being a professional chess player is not…" description: "\"Being a professional chess player is not very family-friendly and I am away quite often playing tournaments, sometimes for 12 days at a time. I catch u..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cd/judit-polgar-10604_chess_being-a-professional-chess-player-is-not_2562972.jpg" --- # Being a professional chess player is not very… ![“Being a professional chess player is not very family-friendly and I am away quite often playing tournaments, sometimes for 12 days at a time. I catch up with Gusztav every day on Skype and email but even though I miss them, I don't make a point of ringing the children every night.” quote by Judit Polgar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cd/judit-polgar-10604_chess_being-a-professional-chess-player-is-not_2562972.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cd/judit-polgar-10604_chess_being-a-professional-chess-player-is-not_2562972.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6cd/judit-polgar-10604_chess_being-a-professional-chess-player-is-not_2562972.jpg) > “Being a professional chess player is not very family-friendly and I am away quite often playing tournaments, sometimes for 12 days at a time. I catch up with Gusztav every day on Skype and email but even though I miss them, I don't make a point of ringing the children every night.” [Judit Polgar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judit-polgar/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Professional chess demands extensive travel, limiting family time and daily contact despite modern communication tools. **In simple terms:** Chess travel reduces family interaction. Key Takeaway Prioritize quality over quantity in family communication. Themes family career travel communication balance Mood lonely reflective Type personal advice When to use this quote - Tournament schedules - daily video calls - email updates - parental responsibilities Key Concepts Professional sports work-life balance technology Questions to Reflect On - How can you deepen family bonds despite physical distance? - What rituals could replace nightly calls? A Different Perspective Even with daily calls, emotional distance may persist. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chess/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day/) [Every night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-night/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [If you are serious about being a professional chess player, do know what your parents think and what their expectations are from you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anish-giri/if-you-are-serious-about-being-a-professional-chess-player-do-know/) [Anish Giri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anish-giri/) > [I was a professional chess player in Romania, but only a small-time master. When I came to France, I continued playing chess for many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumitru-tepeneag/i-was-a-professional-chess-player-in-romania-but-only-a-small-time/) [Dumitru Tepeneag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumitru-tepeneag/) > [... far more people make a living as professional chess players today than ever before. Thanks partly to the availability of computer programs and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-rogoff/far-more-people-make-a-living-as-professional-chess-players-today/) [Kenneth Rogoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-rogoff/) > [Professional players work almost every day, for hours on end, and the emphasis is on the word 'work.' It can be with a partner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viswanathan-anand/professional-players-work-almost-every-day-for-hours-on-end-and-the/) [Viswanathan Anand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viswanathan-anand/) > [“But a man is a frivolous and incongruous creature, and perhaps, like a chess player, loves the process of the game, not the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fydor-dostoyevsky/but-a-man-is-a-frivolous-and-incongruous-creature-and-perhaps-like-a/) [Fydor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fydor-dostoyevsky/) > [My father, a fine chess player himself, has been a massive influence throughout my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magnus-carlsen/my-father-a-fine-chess-player-himself-has-been-a-massive-influence/) [Magnus Carlsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magnus-carlsen/) > [The best chess-player in Christendom may be little more than the best player of chess; but proficiency in whist implies capacity for success in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/the-best-chess-player-in-christendom-may-be-little-more-than-the-best/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [Playing rapid chess, one can lose the habit of concentrating for several hours in serious chess. That is why, if a player has big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-kramnik/playing-rapid-chess-one-can-lose-the-habit-of-concentrating-for/) [Vladimir Kramnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-kramnik/) > [Analysis is a glittering opportunity for training: it is just here that capacity for work, perseverence and stamina are cultivated, and these qualities are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-polugaevsky/analysis-is-a-glittering-opportunity-for-training-it-is-just-here/) [Lev Polugaevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-polugaevsky/) > [I spend around one hour per day on physical exercise. Exercise is a must for every chess player. As the proverb says, 'A sound…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humpy-koneru/i-spend-around-one-hour-per-day-on-physical-exercise-exercise-is-a/) Humpy Koneru > [We all say, 'You don't have to run around playing all these tournaments and trying to conquer the world like Dr. Evil.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-appleby/we-all-say-you-don-t-have-to-run-around-playing-all-these-tournaments/) [Stuart Appleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-appleby/) > [Being from Florida and playing so many tournaments on that beach in Fort Lauderdale, I just want to be on that beach playing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-sweat/being-from-florida-and-playing-so-many-tournaments-on-that-beach-in/) [Brooke Sweat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-sweat/) > [For me, I relish playing tournaments in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-isner/for-me-i-relish-playing-tournaments-in-america/) [John Isner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-isner/) > [I was fortunate to start the sport at a young age. I was 6 years old when my dad started teaching me. We started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karch-kiraly/i-was-fortunate-to-start-the-sport-at-a-young-age-i-was-6-years-old/) [Karch Kiraly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karch-kiraly/) > [When I started I was pretty well the only Aboriginal player who was playing tournaments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evonne-goolagong-cawley/when-i-started-i-was-pretty-well-the-only-aboriginal-player-who-was/) [Evonne Goolagong Cawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evonne-goolagong-cawley/) ## More by Judit Polgar > [We had to cope with the media writing things which were not true, which were insulting. At around 13 I decided I was just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judit-polgar/we-had-to-cope-with-the-media-writing-things-which-were-not-true/) [Judit Polgar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judit-polgar/) > [My life story is very special. I was raised with a special family as both my parents are teachers. They decided before I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judit-polgar/my-life-story-is-very-special-i-was-raised-with-a-special-family-as/) [Judit Polgar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judit-polgar/) > [I was very successful from a very young age... there was never a bad period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judit-polgar/i-was-very-successful-from-a-very-young-age-there-was-never-a-bad/) [Judit Polgar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judit-polgar/) > [It's very important not to put pressure on a child. Make sure that she/he feels that whatever happens it's not the end of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judit-polgar/it-s-very-important-not-to-put-pressure-on-a-child-make-sure-that-she/) [Judit Polgar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judit-polgar/) > [My father and mother are exceptional pedagogues who can motivate and tell it from all different angles. Later, chess for me became a sport,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judit-polgar/my-father-and-mother-are-exceptional-pedagogues-who-can-motivate-and/) [Judit Polgar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judit-polgar/) > [I believe that for the audience the best way to give the commentating is to avoid going into the deep, deep details.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judit-polgar/i-believe-that-for-the-audience-the-best-way-to-give-the-commentating/) [Judit Polgar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judit-polgar/) > [Being professional means 100% is not enough. Number one, two and three in my life was chess. The reality for women is, when a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judit-polgar/being-professional-means-100-is-not-enough-number-one-two-and-three/) [Judit Polgar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judit-polgar/) > [How you lose matters. Don't be afraid of losing - it paralyzes you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judit-polgar/how-you-lose-matters-don-t-be-afraid-of-losing-it-paralyzes-you/) [Judit Polgar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judit-polgar/) > [And maybe some people do it too much, are too selfish and concentrated on chess. But I think that in all professions you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judit-polgar/and-maybe-some-people-do-it-too-much-are-too-selfish-and-concentrated/) [Judit Polgar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judit-polgar/) > [Chess demolishes differences. It's a language of different generations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judit-polgar/chess-demolishes-differences-it-s-a-language-of-different-generations/) [Judit Polgar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judit-polgar/) > [My sister Susan, who was the first one, was pretty good in mathematics and then chess, and my father chose chess because it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judit-polgar/my-sister-susan-who-was-the-first-one-was-pretty-good-in-mathematics/) [Judit Polgar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judit-polgar/) > [In chess the most unbelievable thing for me is that it's a game for everybody: rich, poor, girl, boy, old, young. It's a fantastic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judit-polgar/in-chess-the-most-unbelievable-thing-for-me-is-that-it-s-a-game-for/) [Judit Polgar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judit-polgar/) > [To become a professional, you have to train a lot, which I did from a very early age. Of course, it helps if your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judit-polgar/to-become-a-professional-you-have-to-train-a-lot-which-i-did-from-a/) [Judit Polgar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judit-polgar/) > [There are two ways to have educational chess in schools, either through after school programs or using chess as a tool in classrooms to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judit-polgar/there-are-two-ways-to-have-educational-chess-in-schools-either/) [Judit Polgar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judit-polgar/) > [I was happy that at home we were a closed circle and then we went out playing chess and saw the world. It's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judit-polgar/i-was-happy-that-at-home-we-were-a-closed-circle-and-then-we-went-out/) [Judit Polgar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judit-polgar/) [Explore all 64 Judit Polgar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judit-polgar/) ## More Chess quotes > [I have known many chess players, but among them there has been only one genius - Capablanca!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-lasker/i-have-known-many-chess-players-but-among-them-there-has-been-only/) [Emanuel Lasker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-lasker/) > [Real chessplayers think about chess more or less 24 hours a day. It is a passion and a fate that one has to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simen-agdestein/real-chessplayers-think-about-chess-more-or-less-24-hours-a-day-it-is/) Simen Agdestein > [It's interesting that the greatest minds of computer science, the founding fathers, like Alan Turing and Claude Shannon and Norbert Wiener, they all looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/it-s-interesting-that-the-greatest-minds-of-computer-science-the/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [“Relationships are chess for women," he said. "They can see the whole board, plan way ahead. They're the queens, after all. We're the kings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-lippman/relationships-are-chess-for-women-he-said-they-can-see-the-whole/) [Laura Lippman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-lippman/) > [The election of Trump threw the chess board up. The pieces are all over the place. That's upsetting to a lot of people, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-rubin/the-election-of-trump-threw-the-chess-board-up-the-pieces-are-all/) [Dave Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-rubin/) > [Playing for complications is an extreme measure that a player should adopt only when he cannot find a clear and logical plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-alekhine/playing-for-complications-is-an-extreme-measure-that-a-player-should/) [Alexander Alekhine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-alekhine/) > [“the shadows. “Why do you think they invented chess?” “He’s got you there,” said the captain, following Fletcher. Jake jogged slightly to catch up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-blake/the-shadows-why-do-you-think-they-invented-chess-he-s-got-you-there/) [Russell Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-blake/) > [ \[Photographer Julian Wasser\] had this great idea that I should play chess naked with Marcel Duchamp and it seem to be such a great… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-babitz/photographer-julian-wasser-had-this-great-idea-that-i-should-play/) [Eve Babitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-babitz/) > [Chess is a good mistress but a bad master.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-abrahams/chess-is-a-good-mistress-but-a-bad-master/) [Gerald Abrahams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-abrahams/) > [I am not some sort of freak. I might be very good at chess but I'm just a normal person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magnus-carlsen/i-am-not-some-sort-of-freak-i-might-be-very-good-at-chess-but-i-m/) [Magnus Carlsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magnus-carlsen/) > [Some sacrifices are sound; the rest are mine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-tal/some-sacrifices-are-sound-the-rest-are-mine/) [Mikhail Tal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-tal/) > [My parents were very supportive of my chess. When I got home after a game of chess, having missed school or something, they always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viswanathan-anand/my-parents-were-very-supportive-of-my-chess-when-i-got-home-after-a/) [Viswanathan Anand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viswanathan-anand/) > [Amberley excelled at chess - a mark, Watson, of a scheming mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/amberley-excelled-at-chess-a-mark-watson-of-a-scheming-mind/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [In high school, my sister went out with the captain of the chess team. My parents loved him... They figured that any guy that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-kiley/in-high-school-my-sister-went-out-with-the-captain-of-the-chess-team/) [Brian Kiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-kiley/) > [The King is a fighting piece. Use it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-steinitz/the-king-is-a-fighting-piece-use-it/) [Wilhelm Steinitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-steinitz/) [Browse all 2,003 Chess quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chess/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Being a professional chess player is not very family-friendly and I am away quite often playing tournaments, sometimes for 12 days at a time. 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