Money or skill?

Santa Fe’s own ‘grandmaster’

By JULIE ANN GRIMM The New Mexican
April 15, 2007

Standout says U.S. culture values money over chess skill

Chess is bringing fame to 34-year-old Jesse Kraai of Santa Fe.But the fact that this notoriety is not a path to riches hasn’t kept Kraai from devoting the last four years of his life to earning one of the highest ranks in the game.

Last week, he became the first person born in the United States to earn the elite title of “grandmaster” in at least a decade. This week, he plays in a Miami tournament that could drive his rating even higher.

“The beautiful thing about chess is, it’s one of the few places in the world where you are just objectively judged for what you have done,” the tall, unassuming Santa Fe native said in an interview last week. “There is no boss or someone telling you this, that or the other thing. …

I don’t need a boss.”Not having a boss means he lives simply — studying chess as much as he can to prepare for intense tournament games that last four to six hours each.

Kraai doesn’t have a job, he says with a smile. He also doesn’t have a car, choosing a bicycle for transportation. He bought his small townhouse off Pacheco Street before the real-estate market grew further out of reach for many in his hometown. To cover expenses, he gives recorded lectures and does private chess coaching.

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