Some of us untitled players may wonder whether being titled matters. It certainly does. The higher the title the greater the perks it provides. Take for instance when Hou Yifan, the then Women’s World Champion came to Bangkok to play in 2012. There was a $10,000 appearance fee generously paid by a local retiree (sorry, not allowed to name him), and a penthouse suite at the Dusit Thani for 2 weeks was provided also -free of charge of course!
In turn, there were a few duties to fulfill, such as a simul against a select few, a photo shoot here and there, and perhaps an interview. Thankfully, Hou Yifan made a genuine effort to win the tournament, which cannot be said for all Bangkok’s guest GMs, some of whom, in the belief they have already made their money, begin each round the worse for wear after a night on the town.
GM Hou Yifan, a pleasant person to meet.
A trap that has caught many GMs out whilst visiting Thailand.
McCreadyandChess 
Leave a Reply