HB Global Chess Challenge
With a total prize fund of US $500,000 the HB Global Chess Challenge
is arguably the richest open tournament in the history of chess. It is certainly
the largest ever open chess tournament in the US. It will be held from May
18–22, 2005, and the venue is the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis,
Minnesota. The event is expected to draw more than 4000 participants.
Minneapolis, Minnesota, venue of the richest chess open in history
The Global Chess Challenge is a Maurice Ashley driven event. The US grandmaster
was born in 1966 in Jamaica, but his family moved to Brooklyn when he was 12.
Maurice was awarded the rank of National Master in 1986 and International Master
in 1993. After that he took a break from his coaching career to earned his
GM title in March 1999, the first (and to date only) African-American achieve
this goal.
Maurice has been in the media a lot, nationally and internationally. He served
as a commentator in the Kasparov-Short and Kasparov-Deep Blue matches, he was
the chief commentator in the PCA Grand Prix circuit, and the ESPN anchor in
the live coverage of the matches Kasparov
vs Deep Junior and Kasparov
vs X3D Fritz. His trademark is a very lively commentary style, which conveys
the excitement of the game even to a lay audience.
Maurice Ashley interviewing Garry Kasparov for ESPN
It was Maurice Ashley who revealed yesterday that the HB
Foundation had established a guaranteed prize fund of $500,000 for the
tournament in Minneapolis. "An event like the HB Global Chess Challenge
has been the dream of players for years, a tournament that will offer very
substantial cash prizes and be 'fan friendly' for both the professional and
amateur," said Ashley, the CEO of Generation Chess, LLC, the company organizing
the event for the HB Foundation. He noted that first place in the Open section
has a cash prize of $50,000, and that overall more than 50 others will receive
cash prizes for their performances.
The Minneapolis Convention Center, where the event will be held
"We are proud to be making chess history and most pleased that we will
be helping to build awareness of how children benefit from chess," said
Brian Molohon, the executive director of the HB Foundation. The non-profit
foundation promotes the cognitive and academic benefits that children and youth
gain from learning, and practicing, chess.
The Minneapolis Skyline
The
HB Global Chess Challenge will have multiple side events, including lectures,
simultaneous exhibitions, autograph signings by leading GMs, live game analysis
of the top boards, musical entertainment, silent and live auctions, drawings,
and gift memberships in the U.S. Chess Federation. In addition, there will
be a children’s tournament on the Saturday of tournament week.
“The whole world of chess needs to get behind this effort,” says
Ashley, who will be providing some of his ESPN-style commentary at the event.
“The HB tournament gives us all a chance to come together and play the
game we love in a way that respects all chess players, and it will help kids.
How can you beat that?”
There will be 56 cash winners in the Open section, with most of the other
sections giving away up to 50 cash prizes. Overall, there will be a minimum
of 326 winners going home with a cash prize in their pocket.
The U.S. Chess Federation and the Association of Chess Professionals have
endorsed the HB Global Chess Challenge. The entire Twin Cities area is prepared
to welcome the visiting chess competitors, and the array of restaurants, sporting
events, theaters, music venues and shops are sure to please. Visits to the
Mall of America, the nation's largest shopping center, are also planned.
"The entire area will be ready to welcome our visiting chess players,
throwing the doors wide open to welcome the participants and their families,"
said Molohon of the HB Foundation, which is based in Minnesota.
“Mark your calendars now,” says Ashley. “This is the tournament
that you will be telling your grandkids about. No matter what happens, there
will never again be another first.”
Prize fund: $500,000 absolutely guaranteed
- Open Section
- 1st place - $50,000
- 2nd place - $25,000
- 3rd place - $12,500
- 4th - $7,000
- 5th - $3,500
- 6th - $2,000
- 7th - 20th each $1,000
- 21st to 50th - each $500
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- 2300-2449
- 1st place - $20,000
- 2nd place - 10,000
- 3rd place - $5,000
- Under 2300
- 1st place - $20,000
- 2nd place - 10,000
- 3rd place - $5,000
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- Under 2200, U2000, U1800, U1600
- 1st place - $20,000
- 2nd place - $10,000
- 3rd place - $5,000
- 4th place - $2,500
- 5th place $1,500
- 6th place -$1,000
- 7th - 20th each $500
- 21st - 50th each $300
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- Under 1400 Section
- 1st place - $12,000
- 2nd place - $6,000
- 3rd place - $3,000
- 4th place - $2,000
- 5th place - $1,500
- 6th place - $1,000
- 7th – 20th each $500
- 21st - 50th each $300
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- Top Under 1200
- $10,000-5,000-3,000-2,000-1,000
- Top Under 1000
- $4,000-2,000-1,000-1,000-1,000
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- Unrated Section
- 1st place - $2,000
- 2nd place - $1,000
- 3rd place - $600
- 4th place - $500
- 5th place $400
- 6th – 10th $200
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- Entry Fee: $345 before 1/1/05; $345 from 1/1/05
through 1/30/05; $375 from 2/1/05 through 5/1/05; $400 from May 1 to
noon, May 17.
- Discounts: Sign with a friend before 1/1/05 and
each of you will receive $50 off your entry fee.
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