As the old year ends and a new year begins, I would like to call attention to an announcement made recently by GM Maurice Ashley, who is one of the most personable and media-savvy of the many professionals who both play and promote chess at a high level.
In 2005, Maurice organized and promoted an open tournament with $500,000 in guaranteed prizes, and proved his reliability by delivering the highest quality mass-participation I have seen in over twenty years. Now, Maurice has announced the Millionaire Chess Open and invites players to join him in Las Vegas October 9-13, 2014. Here are links to the event web site, and to some early discussion of the pros and cons of such events (including some of my own views):
www.millionairechess.com
www.thechessdrum.net/blog/2013/12/28/early-reactions-to-1000000-chess/
Tournaments like this are not for everyone, but I believe they have a valuable place in inspiring both ambitious players and fun-loving chess fans alike. Everyone who visited the 2005 event came away deeply impressed, and I am confident that this will be the case next October, too.
Best wishes for a Happy New Year to all of our subscribers – past, present and future – from all of us at ChessLecture.com.