The End of Millionaire Chess?
GM Maurice Ashley has had an eventful year with the Grand Chess Tour (U.S., France, Belgium), the Millionaire Chess African tour (Kenya, Madagascar and South Africa) and the Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan. From his posts on Facebook it was clear that the Brooklyn-based Grandmaster had developed a new vision. Then… less than a month from the third Millionaire Chess Open, co-founder Maurice Ashley posted a stunning announcement on Facebook:
The reaction to this post was swift and hundreds of comments followed. The idea of the Millionaire Chess has had its strong supporters and ardent detractors, but what has resulted is an honest conversation about the chess circuit in the U.S. While there were some innovative ideas being tried and touted, the ultimate drawback is the lack of readiness of the chess community to try anything different from the current model.
While the first two tournaments attracted 550+ players, the numbers were far lower than anticipated. The MC concept added an element of class with nice touches. Despite this, it has been a hard sell to the sponsors which are not exactly clamoring to connect with chess, on any level. With the U.S. winning the Olympiad and the World Chess Championship coming in November, this should be an opportunity to make an aggressive pitch to corporate sponsors.
Unfortunately, the gold medal team got little attention in the national media and chess continues to struggle for attention. All we got was a debate on whether the U.S. team imported their talent or not. No welcoming party at the airport, no celebration by the chess community and of course, the excitement has subsided already.
The narrative of a successful team beating 165 other teams seems to have gotten lost behind a rather dubious notion that the U.S. got the medal the easy way. Despite the sterling effort and growing excitement in U.S. chess, sponsorship seems unmoved and franchises like Millionaire Chess have to consider their losses.
Nigerians at the inaugural Millionaire Chess Open.
Nice touch at MC1!
Amy Lee and Maurice Ashley present a triumphant Wesley So with the winner’s check. Photo by Paul Truong.
Was there a beauty pageant happening at MC2? No… these are chess players!
Photo by David Llada.
Hikaru Nakamura enroute to his victory at MC2.
At MC2, you could input the result of your game through the wristband.
When they got it to work, it’s easy as 1-2-3.
Photos by Daaim Shabazz (unless otherwise stated).
So what did the Millionaire experience yield? It appears that the idea has introduced a number of ideas such as satellite qualifiers in the U.S. and in Africa, opening breakfast, Millionaire Monday concept, video contests, water service, automated recording through RFID technology and chance to win $1,000,000! Who can forget the red carpet promenade, massage chairs and comedians. Well… maybe the last one we’d rather forget! The game show… fun, but probably a no-go.
I left nothing undone.”
~Amy Lee
With perhaps the last edition of the Millionaire Chess, Ashley has stated that he will focus on promoting chess in a number of other ways and cited his experience in Africa as an example. Nevertheless, the third Millionaire Chess Open will begin on October 6th and it is a concept with a “big idea,” but perhaps in a sport with small aims. Players may not believe that chess deserves such a big stage and that it should remain as a weekend hobby with no professional pretense.
Amy Lee revealing the $1,000,000 panel in the MC Square contest.
Photo by Mike Klein.
However, heaps of gratitude should be extended toward Amy Lee in supporting the chess vision. She told The Chess Drum, “I had given MC and chess every possible effort. I left nothing undone. Every single (winner) got paid every single penny over last 3 years.” As it were, MC seems to have run a cycle similar to the tournaments trying to carve a niche in market of conservative customers.
Hopefully one day, the chess world will revisit some of the ideas of the Millionaire Chess franchise. It took a visionary leader like Maurice Ashley and a tireless organizer in Lee to achieve the standards in the trilogy of tournaments. A chance to win $1,000,000 by choosing a square? Wrap your head around that one! That being said, we have MC3 coming. Come be a part of history! If this is the last one, let’s go out with a bang!
Reflections of the 2015 Millionaire Chess Open
The 2016 Millionaire Chess Open Thursday, October 6th through Monday, October 11th 2016 CONTACT: MILLIONAIRE CHESS email address: contact@millionairechess.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/HighStakesChess BE THERE!! * * * |
Would this idea work better in Europe?
What media coverage was there for the US team?
A point raise here but not necessarily about MC is the media response ( lack of) to US 1st gold. Is it prudent to think that the US chess federation should take the lead on promotion for matters such as this?
I always felt that the US Federation should be an asset, a partner and promotional collaborator to make MC the great event envision by Mr. Ashley and MS. Lee. The current USCF staffing most likily do not have great promotional credential but I am sure a highly competent executive might volunteer their time for this project or maybe a small fee.
When you’re behind the wheel you know that you can’t just zoom into moving traffic unless you‘re looking to commit suicide. You have to merge in slowly and with precise timing. Not sure exactly why MC never took off, but what is certain is that Amy and Maurice gave it their best. They didn’t even take a deep breath after MC2, they jumped right into MC3, I was bit astonished, but I presumed that when you are passionate about a vision, you want to see things happen asap. The fact is, it should be a sad moment for all chess players.
Yes, gratitude is due to GM Ashley and Ms. Lee for making what is by all accounts a great event happen these three years.
As far as post-mortem, it’s all about sponsorship. Without knowing the exact steps the MC team took to attract sponsors, I don’t think anyone other than insiders can diagnose what might have been done better. Number of entrants is a central measure of success only if there is little outside sponsorship (i.e., if most of the prize money comes from entry fees).
I agree that the single central chess promotion organization in this country — the one I still think of as the “USCF”, although it has re-branded itself as “US Chess” — needs to be involved in promoting chess to businesses. Put simply, that’s where the money is. I don’t think I have ever seen any USCF administration seriously attempt that. Last decade (and probably sporadically in past decades), they sought to cozy up to individual “sugar daddies” — wealthy patrons like Rex Sinquefield, and before that Eric Anderson, and others before. And of course, the bulk of USCF sponsorship efforts now go into promoting scholastic chess, which presumably involves targeting public school authorities in cities large and small. To my knowledge, they are not now and never have compiled income and demographic data on all US chess players, assembled it into packages tailored for corporate advertisers or marketers, and arranged meetings or conferences where such material could be presented to potential corporate sponsors or their ad agencies.
Those are the kinds of efforts that would signify whether chess in the US is pursuing outside money, or not. Events like MC simply represent raw material.
I honestly believe the failure of MC is that, no one on the management team is commercial business sharp.
First, they should have produced a documentary for MC1, in that they should have contracted with an outfit for a reasonable percentage to do the documentary, presumably 65% of the profits for the first three years, with MC retaining the rights (100% ownership) thereafter. Each MC event should have had contracted an experienced writer/book producer to authorized to take pictures to produce the books for an approximate 55% of the first 1000 books sold with MC retaining the ownership of the publications. However, I think that as Amy, is the financial proprietor no one looked beyond her financial backing. and did not think outside the box. Apart from the aforementioned there are a few other aspects that could have and should have co producers, contracted outside the immediate corporate structure.
Chess is not a spectator sport, in that generally, only chess players are chess spectators, hence there has to have a creative effort to bring the non-players into the mix, by continually introducing informative items to get their attention.
May be Millionaire Chess will work in India!
It is true there’s no way to know if the timing is ever right without trying, but I was eyeing it from a different standpoint. I was proposing that perhaps they should have advanced their vision with a testing period to allow for adjustment or improvement by using an average driver at a starting cost of $400 (EF) and to gradually promote to a professional driver. There’s no sense in risking wrecking your jaguar when you could refine your technique using a second hand Buick. They definitely could have used the support of the community, lessons learned. The chess fervor seems to have had little effect in the prosperity of MC. In fact the major players of this enthusiasm have chosen to bypass MC3. Sometimes the average person makes wiser decision than the one with deep pockets. However, I totally agree, besides sponsorship the irritating question remains, why so little support from the chess community?
Atlantic City, is not an exciting place unless you are a gambler.
What other interest is there in Atlantic City? Additionally getting there is a bit taxing.
A high percentage of Chess participants take their family, wife or other with them to events as MC.
I think that the venue attracted mostly top of the sections strong players and some diehards affordable players.
In MC2 and MC3 Maurice should have skim some of the higher sections prizes and maintain an under 14 for there is a vast pool of under 14 players.
In producing a book, why not solicit businesses advertisements, pages, which is an old school endeavor that always works.
Hey, fellas Amy was and is good at the area of business where she was successful, but I honestly think they needed sound commercial business minds.
I suggest that Murices and Amy consult with an appropriate consultant with knowledge of profit and non-profit business entities with media & advertising background. Some for profit sponsors may contribute solely for tax deductible advertising rights. Other non-profit sponsors may benefit for various other reason. (Wouldn’t it be nice if the USCF provide the grant to MC for initial consultation) to seek the right executive /consultant who will produce the appropriate strategic plan (why and how) to promote and solicit those entities (do the leg work and make special tailored presentations) which may mutually benefit MC. I am just saying the experts are out there to make MC a worldwide recognized and prestiges event.
There’s no doubt that both of us would have love to see MC flourish. BTW, I don’t think $500,000 prize is inexpensive at all, of course, that’s my opinion. I think they could have presented the millionaire idea as is, but introduce it in phases. With HB Global the sponsor pulled out after one year, but this time around he had a committed sponsor who was willing to stick it out, so why the rush? I think it’s a case of patience v not going “cheap” and failing badly. If you really think about it, they have decided to end the business because whatever they’ve learned isn’t good enough for another try. It almost seems as if they did a marvelous job at promoting what a luxury building will look like, but spent little time on the foundation and six months later the building not only buckled, but totally collapsed. I have a lot of respect for both Amy and Maurice for having the courage to not only think big but for actually putting the money to back it up.
Once again Thank you GM Maurice & Ms.Amy for having the Vision & Giving Chess something to look forward for the past 3 years…I am saddened by this turn of the Event..But I still hold out Hope there can be a new model can be implemented for if or any future MC Tournaments.????????????
I would like to point out that Maurice and Amy tried every suggestion that I have seen posted in this forum. Let me repeat, all of the things that you guys are suggesting, they tried, and pursued those ideas with incredible persistence. If sufficient level of sponsorship wasn’t achieved, it wasn’t for a lack of trying.
A big THANKS to Maurice and especially Amy for giving us the gift of MCO! I encourage everyone who isn’t already registered in the 3rd edition, to make every effort to play.
I guess I haven’t been following closely enough to recognize that between MC1, MC2 and MC3, Amy and Maurice have tried every suggestion that’s posted here. I don’t have inside info to refute that claim, but if RJT is correct, then the future of big prize tournament in the U.S. is hopeless.
I immediately wondered if MC hired a sponsorship agency. Chess is a really interesting game to most people and I am sure the eyes of many demographics can be driven to chess events, and that’s what sponsors care about. There must be a few big agencies/brokers that have already established connections, can facilitate effective promotional presentations, and land useful meetings. Wouldn’t be cheap. Could do the marketing work in-house… but of course the business side of sponsorship is really dynamic and takes a bit of art and luck as well as skill and knowledge.
They did hire a firm that would supposedly get sponsorship. They were unsuccessful. I hate to sound like a broken record, but Maurice and Amy tried all the (obvious) things that have been suggested. There is no silver bullet! If amateur chess enthusiasts won’t support a super high quality event like MCO, than there is no value proposition for potential sponsors.
“You have to hit up the Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Baidu type companies, but how do we convince them???”
Have 2000+ enthusiastic chess amateurs shell out $1000 each to play in MCO. That’s you answer 🙂
“You have to hit up the Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Baidu type companies, but how do we convince them???”
Those leading edge tech companies are all data driven. Heck, they invented the strategy of following the numbers to create businesses with viral growth. I’ve dealt with many of them, and work for one. Fluffy ideas don’t get you in the door. Maurice and Amy gave us a chance to produce compelling data, proof points, on the value proposition of a high quality, amateur chess event. Unfortunately, the results of MCO proved that such a value proposition does not exist. At least not today.
Sponsors obviously are critical to any project like this.
I don’t think that chess players are too conservative as a whole. I think that the event was too expensive to the participants to ever be self-supporting.
In my mind there are three groups of potential entrants:
1. Those who could never afford the expense of the $2-3,000 between EF, flight, hotel, meals, etc.
2. Those who could and will.
3. Those who could, but for practical reasons choose not to.
It’s that last category that’s the real issue. There’s nothing to be done about the first group. The second group are playing. But the third…that’s the tough part.
I put myself in that group. I could go play in MC, but then that’s my entertainment budget for the year chess-wise. No trip to the US Championships or the Sinquefield Cup. No heading off to play in other weekend events. Nothing. I’m married and so it’s not fair to my wife if I spend a sizable portion of our incomes on chess.
The reality is that the majority of those who enter tournaments will never win a prize. So most players who play will never recoup the expense.
With sponsorship that wouldn’t matter since MC wouldn’t need another 1,000 players just to break even. Without it, it’s fatal.
Nevertheless I applaud Maurice and Amy. They tried where so many others didn’t.
Chris –
Sponsors are attracted by potential customers. If chess enthusiasts like yourself don’t place a high value on playing in an event like MCO, than no sponsor is going to touch it. NASCAR got sponsorship because thousands of racing fans decided a NASCAR weekend would be their vacation event for the year. Sponsors see that and say I want to associate my brand/company with that event because it attracts people who are spending money.
Of course you are appropriately deciding on your priorities by decling to spend that much on a chess event. But that is the point! If the event can’t demonstrate value, dispassionate sponsors will not be interested.
chess need be on tv @network story line on real people play chess all over the world min 1on espn challenge/chess channel
Sponsors will lend their support to scholastic chess for the educational aspect of it. They will also sponsor individual star players, like Magnus, Naka, etc. for obvious reasons. But if you’re asking them to support the general chess community, you better have a viable strategy to show how their customer base will benefit –ever watch the Shark tank- because, it all about profit. IMO, until the attitudes of the “grass root “changes, not much will happen. Chess has to support itself through its players, fans, donations from donors like Rex Sinquefield, campaign, etc. Just read what RJT said. It’s up to the players to show up in large numbers and MC would have a effective proposition to present to likely sponsors. Actually, I think a little more is needed to get sponsors to move one way or another. Every year there’s about 1200 player who register to play and pay $350 or more at the World Open .And I believe that most of these players can also afford to pay $1,000 (EF), but for reasons well stated by Chris they elect not to. So, why isn’t 1200+ players paying $350 + not an acceptable value proposition?
I think the added word OBVIOUS makes a big difference. RJT appears to trust his belief that if MC could show Google, Microsoft, Apple, etc. that they could get 2000+ players to register for a high stake chess tournament, they can get these companies to become sponsors. With due respect, I am not so sure that is the not so obvious solution. Here’s why. Generally speaking, not many Tech companies sponsor sporting events. Most of The technology companies don’t have a demand to the public the way other companies do. Their focus is mainly in marketing and advertising to reach a targeted consumer. Think about it, what’s really in it for Apple or Google to sponsor a chess tournament? Maybe that’s why no effort has been made to reach out to them. Tech companies are likely to sponsor coding events, MIT or Wii gamming tournaments before they give a look at a chess tournament.
Unless the sponsorship is aimed at taking their brand to the right people and potential customers, don’t even bother. It doesn’t matter what company you’re hitting up, unless there’s something in it for them, they will not sponsor just because they have sufficient funds.
Guy – You are correct, those companies do not sponsor many sporting events. Although IBM does sponsor tennis, many golf events through the local organizing entities, and for many years did the technology platform for the Olympics. So it is not unheard of.
My real point is that to approach any major company for sponsorship, you have to show that what you are proposing is attracting a rapidly growing number of people, willing to spend their money on that activity. The MC case unfortunately proved the opposite — the market is very limited and not growing.
Bottomline, companies will sponsor what Guy spends his money on, not what he doesn’t! 🙂
I agree that those who doesn’t play chess have a certain image about chess players. And yes, IBM played a major role in Deep Blue and disappeared right after. My point was that when RJT sounded hassled as if he’s tired of repeating himself because he thinks he had provided the solution to what would make it work, that I wasn’t persuaded by the grandiloquence. He sounded like person who’s had experience, but still I wasn’t convince that just by showing the tech pundits data showing MC is able to get 2000+ chess players to pay a $1,000 buck to play in a glitzy tournament was enough to get them on board. That’s my point.
I wouldn’t argue that IBM sucked up a few mileage out of the deep blue match, but what good did it produce for chess? The opportunity we got from Amy and Mo just showed what’s possible, but nothing else was gained. My tick with RJT is that he was a board member for the Texas Chess Team for quite some time and what did he do for our black kids while he was in that position?
Guy – Still am a board member. And for many years was a board member for Dallas Area Chess in The Schools. Which parts of what we did, and are doing, do you feel were not sufficient? Or is this a personal thing, about something you never approached me about 🙂
Guy – I still am a board member. And was a board member for many years of Dallas Area Chess In the Schools, an organization that traces its roots to the NY based CIS. What about the various programs that I’ve been involved in with those two organizations do think falls short? Please explain how you have done better — I am always looking to learn from those who are getting results.
I guess herein lies the problem. If I am correct, MC is a for profit entity, thus USCF could not contribute a grant to promote competitive chess as Daaim mentioned. If Maurice and Amy go back to the drawing board they might adopt a simple plan: A non-profit venture seeking to collaborate with the USCF, hundred of chess clubs and a faithful sponsor or two to promote and grew the competitive US chess community.
RJT- you fell for the bait! I wanted to get your attention, since you kept addressing my point by talking to Daaim, so I said something that I knew would get you to respond, and it worked. At least I got to learn that you are still a board member and had work for the Dallas Area Chess in the school. Nothing personal but if you recall I did ask you for a favor about 2 years ago. I don’t hold a position where I have control to make recommendations to help a group of students, but on a personal level, I do teach chess to many children at my church and in my community. I also mentor a lot of the young boys who comes from single parent homes.
Guy – I commend everyone who is working to promote chess. Especially to help youngsters build their critical thinking and social skills. You should try it! More worthwhile than baiting hooks.
Daaim I applaud you for evoking these provocative dispositions.
I send my warmest Congrats to Maurice and Amy for their grand effort in producing Millionaire Chess and wish them good luck in all future involvements.
Also, I hope they read your entire forum on the Millionaire Chess events.
My post MC3 thoughts:
– Even a watered down MC3, compared to the first two editions, was a better playing experience than any other tournament that I’ve payed in. And I’ve played in them all through the past decades.
– The depth of the prize fund was unsurpassed. And even score, 3.5, won $133 in the U2000 section. Of course that was due to the shortfall in desired enrollment. But even with double the enrollment, MC3 would have offered higher odds to finish in the money than other big tournaments.
– The Millionaire Monday concept is great. It insures that the final day is a crescendo – the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat. None of the typical early handshakes by fatigued, risk adverse leaders, that you see in other big money swisses.
– Unfortunately the continued disappointing enrollment indicates that the value proposition, to players and therefore sponsors, is just not there at this time. Please understand, I’m not trying to be fatalistic, and say that such a concept will never work. But it will probably take some significant external driver to change the market dynamics.
– Lastly, I’m even stronger in my observation that Maurice and Amy did everything possible to execute and promote the MC concept. As a business person who deals with brutal competition every day, I have nothing but admiration for the quality, creativity and determination that they displayed in trying to build a successful business.
wELL from an ULTRAMODERN point of view, if ya gunna “REVOLUTIONIZE” Chess in real life u better be prepared for a hell of alotta work not just talkin Ultratalk and movin a knight around the chessboard and dressin up in cloths. sO simply put if the traditionalist dont get MC4 off the ground it cleary means the proper work didnt get done and all the damn excuses thats being made on this site it just typical traditional rational. LEARN TO THINK OUTSIDE DA BOX AND DO DA DAMN WORK IN REAL LIFE OR BE QUIT IF U HAVE NO REAL SOLUTIONS!!!! (Adia? am i bein disRESPEKFUL now). ULTRAMODERNIST.
Hey Lionel. No disrespect assumed. Out of the box? MC was out of the box, right? Unlike anything ever done. And it was done well. Out of the box doesn’t work when the target audience is satisfied with the box they are in. It’s time to move on.