Make Chess look like a Million Bucks!
Dear chess community,
The buzz of the Millionaire Chess Open (MCO) has persisted since GM Maurice Ashley and Canadian entrepreneur Amy Lee announced the idea in December and confirmed the event in early April. This tournament has at least initiated a debate about chess promotion going forward.
Known these days as a commentator par excellence, Ashley has been at the forefront of a number of issues including scholastic chess, zero-tolerance for quick draws and now chess promotion. His initial foray into international chess promotion ended in a rousing success at the HB Global Chess Tournament. Unfortunately, the sponsor chose not to reinvest despite the organizational success of the tournament.
The idea of a million-dollar tournament was a bit ambitious and the criticism was swift. With a $1000.00 price point, many complained that the entry was simply not feasible. Of course that is a main concern, but perhaps there are other reasons such as the dates, cheating threats and Las Vegas’ reputation as being less than a child-friendly place. Nevertheless, those who will attend will do so and be a turning point for chess. Ashley has conveyed to me in not one, not two, but three interviews that this is a grassroots campaign designed to build the brand of chess. Ultimately, it’s up to chess players to make chess look like million bucks!
In my view, the Millionaire Chess Open is a novel event that may cause sponsors to ask the big questions pertaining to the value proposition of chess. Chess is widely respected and has worldwide loyalty, but the formula on how to market its value has not been discovered as it has in other sporting genres. Through all the criticism, no one will argue against the many cogent suggestions and ways that the MCO could be improved. Nevertheless, the effort has been laudable. I will be in Las Vegas taking photos, conducting interviews and being a beast on the chess board. Hope to see you there!
~ Dr. Daaim Shabazz, The Chess Drum
Get your camera and strike your millionaire chess pose!
Thursday, October 9th through Monday, October 13th 2014 CONTACT: MILLIONAIRE CHESS email address: contact@millionairechess.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/HighStakesChess |
Hi Daaim, where do you get the time to do all these things?
Mixing academic life with your love for chess.
It is astonishing.
On a different note, I think that Maurice is an extremely good commentator. I really enjoyed listening to him during the Sinquefield Cup.
haha, Wonderful Pictures but if ur gunna play fITCHER’S move 1e4 i must respond in an uLTRAMODERN wAY and play 1 e5!!! lol
I believe there’s a boatload of players who have abandoned the idea of playing right after the entry fee was increased to $1,500. If there’s another MC, perhaps they should make an early announcement that the price would go up but actually increase it, two to three weeks before the tournament. This way it would give players enough time to come up with the money. If three weeks before the tournament you hadn’t come up with the entry fee, than in all likelihood, you didn’t really plan on playing. Of course, you always have last minute entries, but that will be a few. I am putting this out there, because I’ve spoken with some of my friends who have told me, Guy, “I was planning on going, but once the price went up , I knew I wouldn’t have enough time to come up with the extra 5.” In a major tournament of that scale, you have to figure that most players are not going alone, so in essence it will be more than a $500 increase for a lot of players. I won’t be there because of school conflict, but I wish all the players good skill and luck.
When the idea of MC first came out, there were a lot of frowns about the $1000 fee, but as people started to learn more about it, they gradually started to accept the idea of paying $1,000 . But to suddenly ask to pay $1,500 on a rather short notice, in my opinion, was a turn off rather than an incentive for players to sign up. I agree, on first try it’s difficult to come up with the right formula, but getting as many players to play should be the priority. Based on Greg Shahade’s piece about the tournament, MC Inc. would be in awe if it broke even . Since the announcement of the price increase, I doubt there was a huge increase in the number of players who rushed to sign up. There have to be some incentive to keep any business running.
I think there is a misunderstanding of the entry fee. It needs to be high! That is the goal of the tournament, to demonstrate to outsiders that money can flow into chess.
One objection that I often hear is that “I” don’t have that kind of money. True, not everyone does. But if that is your situation, ask yourself this … can I raise the money? Please pause, and seriously consider this question, because it is at the heart of the behavior that MC is designed to drive.
Perhaps it is too late for you for MC I. But assuming the tournament is as spectacular as Maurice & Amy advertise (and I trust that it will be), you will have lots of lead time to nurture sponsorship for MC II. Get friends and family to pitch in. Put your “portfolio” together, make that list of prospects — business owners who you know or patronize, neighbors, colleagues, social organizations, etc. In WSOP, some players sell sponsorship interests, where the sponsor gets to share in prize winnings, if any.
You guys probably have a lot more creative ideas than I do — but you have to put on your thinking cap.
It needs to be high! That is the goal of the tournament… not sure I can agree with that. Entrepreneurship is tough business and we know that on average it takes about 3 to 5 years before a business start to see some profits. I think getting enough players to register at an acceptable entry fee that is sufficient to cover operating and other expenses should be the goal of the initial years of the business. Already, there’s some obvious indication that not many players are willing to pay a thousand buck to play in a tournament, regardless of the prize and other amenities that’s being offered. If this holds true, then how can the goal of MC be to make the entry fee high?
Guy – I am not saying that you are wrong, just that your goal is different than Maurice’s goal. He has stated many times that they are willing to lose money, at least on this inaugural event, to make a big splash. Your approach is legitimate for what you would want to achieve. In fact, I encourage you to do it! More organizers willing to create events is what we need in the chess world, of whatever size, as long as they are run in a quality manner.
I agree with the overall content of your message, and totally agree with your last statement.What about having a MC tournament with a starting entry fee of $700 and slowly increase it to $2000 with a million dollar prize/b on some useful # of entries. I think it would still have the same appeal and also raise the profile of chess. Now, I am assuming that they are trying to get the attention of mainly the public at large and potential sponsors who probably would be concerned w the million dollar prize.
RJT- If you’re willing to be a sponsor I’d be willing to give it a try. You say Maurice wants to lose money to make a big splash. Very interesting! I think Maurice would encourage ideas that are different from his and pick out what he likes and disregard what doesn’t fit his plan. I am not saying you’re wrong, just saying it’s hard to believe that his goal is to lose money to make a statement. HB Global was a success in many ways, it was a splash, but it didn’t last. Do we want a repeat?
Guy –
I did not say Maurice WANTS to lose money. Please don’t misrepresent my position. Maurice and Amy boldly made the decision to go froward with MCO, even though the revenue won’t cover their expenses. They are simply willing to consider the money an investment, that will pay off down the road. Look closely at what they are doing, especially the other entities involved, MIT Media Labs, Sinquefield’s team. These people are serious about this event, and what it may demonstrate.
Regarding your willingness to sponsor an event, I will take you up on that! I’ll get your number from Daaim, and give you a call.
Ive noticed many traditionalist like to use the word,SERIOUS, the chessbookwriter eRIC sCHILLER uses it on me all the time on the facebook, does anyone KNOW what they really mean by that? oR is it just par for the course with them?
RJT- This hindsight response interprets and clarifies your previous comment with precision. Based on the email I received from you, I believe we’re on the same page. I will give you a call regarding the sponsorship for an event.
oH i just read an article on chessbase where this young lady wrote an article there about chess in St.Louis and she says the word Serious, what does that mean? dO any chessdrummers KNOW?