Millionaire Chess Open-Number of Players

[wintdoan]

@tzs

@tmagchesspgh

We do not have demographic studies of USCF players to show what their income levels are. How many players can afford to spend $1000+ on an entry fee and $1000 to $2000+ more on travel expense, hotels, meals, etc. ?

There are a couple of mitigating factors that lessen the impact of the $1000 entry fee.

First, the depth of the prizes. Consider for example the U1400 section, which had 70 players. 24 of those won $1000 or more. Another 10 won $800. 22 won $600. 5 won $240. Only 9 won nothing. In U1600, of the 67 players 19 won $1000 or more, 10 won $640, 19 won $600, 4 won $300, and 15 won nothing.

Was that (deep payout schedule) intentional or an artifact of the small turnout? One could, after all, make a very large “prize” fund by simply rebating a big chunk of the EF to anyone who played all rounds.

[klizzaus]

@BIRDSMAN

Does anyone agree with me that these high priced high prize
events do not help chess as a whole? All they do is drive up
entry fees, encourage bagging.

I think Millionaire Chess and other big money tournaments have very little effect on your average local or weekend events. Back when I organized tournaments I would try to avoid the CCA tournaments and the US Open to stop conflicts but that was the only way it was inconvenient.

What average players need to get strong medium priced tourns within your rating range or perhaps the ability to
opt out of prizes for a lower entry fee

I personally don’t care for big-money tournaments, but the great thing is, I don’t have to play in them. Scheduled matches, one-day tournaments, weekend tournaments, weeknight tournaments, quads, big-money, all of that is under the USCF umbrella and all of them provide opportunities for players in their own way.

The good thing about your preference (which is also my preference) is that it takes very little capital and expertise to run a local tournament. I see you have already taken the first step and become a certified club TD. That’s great! If there aren’t enough tournaments in your area you should take the next step and organize one.

[Terry_Winchester]

@BIRDSMAN

Does anyone agree with me that these high priced high prize
events do not help chess as a whole? All they do is drive up
entry fees, encourage bagging.

Birdy,

I don’t see how this event harmed chess. And I don’t know how it influences other organizer’s EFs. As for bagging, that’s always been an issue, and I’m not sure how the big tournaments deal with it because I haven’t thought too much about it.

With due regard to all of the organizers, I just think that $1K is a bit much for the amateur player. And needing 1500 players just to break even (is that right?) borders on the absurd considering the World Open doesn’t get that many. Correct me if I’m wrong, but the World Open is the biggest tournament in the country with far less required EF.

[jwiewel]

@Terry Winchester

@BIRDSMAN

Does anyone agree with me that these high priced high prize
events do not help chess as a whole? All they do is drive up
entry fees, encourage bagging.

Birdy,

I don’t see how this event harmed chess. And I don’t know how it influences other organizer’s EFs. As for bagging, that’s always been an issue, and I’m not sure how the big tournaments deal with it because I haven’t thought too much about it.

With due regard to all of the organizers, I just think that $1K is a bit much for the amateur player. And needing 1500 players just to break even (is that right?) borders on the absurd considering the World Open doesn’t get that many. Correct me if I’m wrong, but the World Open is the biggest tournament in the country with far less required EF.

I’ll correct you, but I’ll also admit that the bigger tournaments are very different events that you would not have been considering.
Each spring sees at least one scholastic national tournament larger than the World Open (and also in excess of the 1500 that the MC wanted). The USATE will be in the area of the World Open numbers.

The HB Global had 1507 players (half the prize fund and a third of the entry fee).

[Terry_Winchester]

Right, I wasn’t considering National Scholastics which normally don’t offer cash prizes. Also, the EF’s, I believe, are much smaller.