It has rightly been said that chess is more than a game, but less than a science. It follows that it is doubtful whether chess, as a profession, is desirable for any but a genius. Curiously enough, one of the very greatest, Morphy, always was most wroth when professionalism was attributed to him, and this may have been partly the reason why he gave up chess altogether. Yet one may well ask whether the world was better off when an outstanding chess genius spent his energy on being a moderate lawyer. This problem comes to most players who are enthusiastic, and achieve a measure of success in chess, and we find a satisfactory solution in the life of R. P. Michell.