Newsletter #51: Satellite Events in USA!
One of the major goals of Millionaire Chess is to give more and more players the opportunity to play in our big event. While a few satellites tournaments were successfully held abroad, the month of August saw a spurt of three more recently held right on home soil. With none of the tournaments having an entry fee of more than $75, chess enthusiasts descended on the events for a chance to make it to the big dance in Vegas.
The first satellite of the month, held at the St. Louis Chess Club on August 15-16, saw 55 participants vying for the coveted spot at the Millionaire Chess Open. The winner, with 4.5 points, was IM Priyadharshan Kannappan, who had to defeat IM Ashwin Jayaram in a playoff the secure the title.The two players, tied for first after 5 rounds, had an Armageddon Match to see who would get the Millionaire Chess Entry + $500 travel expenses. Jayaram chose Black, 4 minutes and draw odds; Kannappan received 6 minutes and had the White pieces. Though Jayaram condensed the position to a Knight and Pawn endgame, his misplaced knight proved to be too much to overcome. Kannappan went on to win the game and a spot in the MC Open. See the whole game and post game interview here Millionaire Chess #2 Satellite | Armageddon Blitz Final - 2015.08.15-16
Another satellite was held in Tucson, Arizona by the Belakovskaia Chess Academy August 23rd, 2015. Twenty-seven juniors battled in 2 sections for the precious two spots.Jose Angel Castillo Martinez won the U1800, and the U1400 title went to Nagaprasad Rudrapatna. The winners will be among the many kids - some as young as 7 years old - who will compete in this year’s edition of the tournament.
The final satellite of the month was held at the world famous Marshall Chess Club on August 25th. In the Open, a match was played between GM Hedinn Steingrimmson and GM Sergei Azarov. GM Azarov, who played in last year’s inaugural event before being knocked out of the qualifiers stage, won the match and will return to Vegas looking to avenge his disappointing finish. The 17-player U2000 section was won by another participant from last year, Robert Beatty, who won an exciting Armageddon game against Ruichen Wang.
Millionaire Square Prize!
Don’t forget: One player in the 2nd Millionaire Chess Open will have a 1 in 64 chance to walk away a millionaire! The player will be one of the 36 who make it to Millionaire Monday, the final day of competition. The Millionaire Square Prize is in addition to the million-dollar prize fund that hundreds of players from over 40 countries will be competing to win.
Player Video Contest
Be sure to check out the great player video contest submissions. You can vote once per day. Show your favorite a little love ~ a few simple clicks will help them win a limo ride to the tournament. Click here to see them all.
If you are playing in the tournament, it’s not too late. Enter for a chance to win a limo ride to the event and help us bring the great stories of some of our amateurs to light. Click here to learn more. Tell us where you are from, how you train, what you sacrifice for the game, what motivates you to play, who supports you, what you have overcome to get where you are, etc. Many asked us to make sure that the amateurs got as much coverage as the top players, but we need your help to make that happen. As you have seen many times on social media, it doesn’t take a professionally made video to inspire others.
Warmest regards,
Amy & Maurice
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