Ashley's Million-dollar chess tourney - but bring your own clocks

>People like askikuzzaman are being used and they just too myopic to reralize this. <

People like ashikuzzaman are cheerleading to the max but should they lose, they won't be back next year. Even the most devoted fan of MC isn't going to keep coughing up the thousands of dollars it takes to enter, fly to, and stay at Vegas. Next year I predict about 200-250 entries and the event will quietly be cancelled.

Oh by the way, 7 more people signed up at $1500, according to the site.

At least, we THINK they paid that much. I have a strong feeling that the so-called rules and fees of MC are highly flexible at this point.

Anyhoo, they've got about one more month to shill this thing. It's hard to see the entries getting close to 600, although they may pad them up in the last minute with a bunch of complimentary ones. The organizers have already committed to losing at least half a million, it's all about image now, so don't be surprised if suddenly another hundred or so people mysteriously sign up.

And yes, losing half a million dollars on a chess tournament is a failure. It's not an expected cost of starting up a bold new idea. It's a colossal marketing and planning disaster. Somebody REALLY misread their market data when planning this thing...if they read any data at all.

I wonder where the Super GM's are? I found one, who just won in Las Vegas National Open. However, he's staying on the East coast to play, Gata Kamsky...

https://www.chessaction.com/tournaments/advance_entry_list.php?tid=mqij

Also, does anyone have a link to the video for this event? It played on chess.com TV yesterday during coverage of the Sinquefield Cup. MC made a serious gaffe, calling it a "Once in a lifetime opportunity". Does this mean they don't plan another?

As has been pointed out, the lower sections are funding the top ones. Approximately 20% of the entries are in the open, and that section pays out over 40% of the prizes.

I have noted already prizes of this magnitude will bring out attempts at cheating. Not saying they will get away with it, but here's one to consider....

Say I am a GM and out of the running for the top 4. Last round before playoffs I'm playing a U2500 or U2350 who will qualify for playoffs with a win. I have a winning position. I pass this note to him:  "Take your pick. I can beat you, or lose on time for 50% of your playoff winnings". That's going to be awfully tempting to refuse with this much cash on the line.

The offer is going to sound awfully fishy as well (why "resign" a winning position?).

@others, especially in the "doomsayer" camp: please refrain from personal abuse.

the "doomsayers" are the "haters" or it goes in the opposite direction?

Anyone who thinks a thousand bucks is too much to play chess, is a hater.

Thanks, it gets confusing after a while.

If anyone hands me a note or tries to make any type of side agreement, you can be sure that I'll immediately report them to the TD and I wouldn't be surprised if they get removed from the event entirely.  Show some respect to the game and the competition.

In a casino, in Vegas.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/01/us/millionaire-chess-to-hit-las-vegas-in-gambit-to-raise-games-profile-with-big-prizes.html?_r=0

Yep.  I'd probably take it, not going to lie.  I'd be really tempted anyway.

@Irontiger
Depends.  If he's up a piece in an uncomplicated position, then sure.  If it's only a winning advantage a GM could take advantage of, and they purposefully complicate it a bit more, then he loses on time, that could easily look normal.

I'm not so much concerned about making it look like a genuine loss. It is easy to "sacrifice" a piece into some not-so-obvious-but-obvious-enough refutation, to achieve "brilliance" and "take it to the next level" with your winning position.

If I were on the other side of the table, my first thought would be "why the hell is he offering me to do this?".

You have chances at prize money, he doesn't.

But if you lose this game, you lose your chances for money.

So he uses the game as a bargaining chip.  He lets you win, and be in the running for money, but in return you will pay him half of your winnings.

I somehow missed that part. Silly me.

Now you think I am stupid, don't you?

I hope MC reads this topic and sees what we have to say. As noted already, the playoff system kept me from playing. However, being a tournament veteran since before Bobby Fischer became world champion, I have known of all kinds of deals being made, or strong suspicions of ones, and these for a few hundred measly dollars. It's one thing to catch someone using a chess engine during play. Making a deal is a lot harder to catch. It doesn't have to be by a note, which is evidence, it can be done in person. Another possibility is the deal makers actually know each other. This makes collusion even more likely. This form of cheating is very likely simply because of the outrageous amount of money at stake. It's too damn tempting. Imagine if MC works and eventually becomes a $10K entry for $10 Million in prizes. You know that's going to bring out the cheaters and it's up to MC to stop them.

Not at all :)  I guessed you must have just misread what he typed.

Yes.  A group of multiple strong players could work out different circumstances weeks in advance and they wouldn't even have to say anything to each other on site.

You nailed a good point. I will rish repeating but last December when I went to National Open in Las Vegas, I won $2000 in Undewr 1900 section being runner up but my total expense was around $4000. Because I went wtih my family and friends (with his family) and we enjoyed the time staying in Bally's.

So I dont need to do it again for Millionaire Chess, because this time my expense will be a little less than that I suppose although we are again going full family. Entry fee is really only a very small portion of the total cost. So you will see its not the $1000 entry fee that makes my decision to participate or not - its the "other expense" (disclaim I dont gample - pure family person).

So next year I will be there again - except and only except - if my office project conincide with the date of the event. Otherwise if MCO happens, I will be there. Its not only the game but the atmosphere will some highly committed fellow players that will drag me.

... forgot to mention another thing. Win or loss that will have no impact on the decision to play or not to play in the tournament. My current rating is around 2028 - so I will be playing in Under 2200 as one of the bottom  most player. So you can assume ahead of time that I am going to loose bug time!  ... but that wont matter. What will matter is if I am happy with the overall enthusiasm and atmosphere of the participants and the organizers.