Postponed: Bill Perkins And Chess.com To Launch Skylar Chess Fest In Houston
Update: Unfortunately, due to the CDC's recommendations regarding postponement of events to curtail the potential spread of COVID-19, Skylar Chess Fest is being postponed. All who have purchased tickets thus far will be refunded promptly. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Chess.com and Bill Perkins to launch Skylar Chess Fest in Houston April-May 2020.
San Francisco, Dec. 27. 2019—Some of the world's biggest celebrities and chess stars will travel to Houston to take part in a first-of-its-kind event, the co-organizers announced today.
This event will feature celebrities from sports, music, poker and chess with activities planned throughout the weekend to celebrate chess. A group of super-grandmasters vying for their piece of a $150,000 prize fund will play an elite rapid and blitz tournament.
Bill Perkins, the hedge fund manager and poker star, contributed $150,000 towards the prize fund, which will be available to be donated by the winners to various charities to support chess around the world. The four-day event kicks off with a gala on April 30, followed by the three days of events at the Westin Galleria Hotel and will be broadcast live exclusively at Chess.com/TV.
Various tournaments, guest speakers, a silent auction and a scholarship tournament will headline the festivities, including a pro-am event featuring six of the world's best chess players and six celebrities. The marquee event, a rapid and blitz tournament, will feature one of the biggest prize funds of the year and some of the top players in the world. Regular and VIP passes will be available for purchase in early January and demand is expected to be high while availability will be limited.
Bill Perkins, founder and manager of Skylar Capital, commented on his motivation to organize this special event: "I'm very excited to partner with Chess.com to promote chess and support charitable causes at the same time in the dynamic city of Houston, Texas. Looking forward to a fun format and meeting chess lovers from around the globe."
A scholarship tournament funded by Perkins will be a highlight during the event. Young chess players from across Houston will compete for their piece of a $10,000 scholarship fund, which will promote academic excellence through chess.
Chess.com will act as the official organizing partner and technology platform for the event, managing the chess activities on site with its events team. A commentary team featuring IM Danny Rensch will call all the action for the elite rapid and blitz tournament from the Westin Galleria, which will also be broadcast live across Chess.com's video platforms and Chess.com/TV .
Among the celebrities expected to attend are Houston sports stars, professional poker players, Houston musical artists and other influential people from around the world.
A later release containing ticketing information will be published after the new year and will provide a link to purchase passes for this groundbreaking event.
Contact:
Nick Barton
Director of Events & Business Development, Chess.com
e-mail: nick@chess.com
phone: (800) 318-2827
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