All photos by David Llada

The concept of the Millionaire Chess festival has been as unique as it has been inspiring. Although there are unquestionably opens with even stronger lineups at the top, such as the Isle of Man running concurrently off the British Isles, this was never what really made it so special. Of course, it is thrilling to see a player such as Kramnik, Caruana, or Nakamura in a tournament you are playing in, but when it comes down to it, unless you are one of these elite players, you know who will be fighting for the top prizes, and that unless you get paired with them in the first or second rounds, you won’t be seeing them across the board from you.

This is where Millionaire Chess comes in. It still won’t promise you a one-on-one against these top players, but even the lowliest Under-1200 player could finish with a prize that exceeds theirs. This is no idle boast either. Sure, the first prize of the Open Section will win a cool $30 thousand, which no other player will beat, but even the first prize of the Under-1600 section will win over $10 thousand, which is higher than the 3rd prize in the Open Section. So yes, while the entry fee for all may be a hefty $549 (if registered by August), the payoff for all players promises to be proportionally attractive.

All players have been invited to have a 'Red Carpet' photo taken, much like the prize ceremonies we see on TV

The opportunity was taken up by many, who got a chance to have a top-notch portrait taken

As many opens in the United States, the schedule is both intense, and somewhat confusing compared to more common organizations in Europe and elsewhere. This does not mean it is disorganized, just that there are myriad options not usually seen. The basic five-day schedule is a fairly normal two rounds per day at 120 minutes for 40 moves plus a 30-minute sudden death. However, for players with less time, or wishing to save money on one day of hotel rates, there is also the four-day schedule. For these players, the first four rounds are packed into a single day playing four consecutive games of 45 minutes for each side. After that, they join the rest for the final rounds, all played at 40 moves in two hours as above, competing for the same prizes.

There was also a prize for the Best Dressed player. Barrington Malcolm easily took it for the best dressed man, leaving his rivals in the dust.

Anita Strangl took Best Dressed Woman with her chess themed clothing, including the shoulderbag, and ensemble with jacket and skirt with chess pieces

Finally, after the intense seven rounds are played, the top four players will qualify for Millionaire Monday, with a semi-final and final, to play for the top prizes.

The field this year may lack the pure luster of the top US players who partook the previous year, but it is not lacking in GM power in any way, and quite literally dozens of grandmasters from around the world are there to play.

The highest rated player is Baskaran Adhiban, rated 2689, who was one of the stars of Team India in Baku

The second highest rated player is Sam Shankland from the USA with 2679

Sam Shankland - Jayaram Ashwin (Annotated by GM Elshan Moradiabadi)

Rauf Mamedov from Azerbaijan, is right behind with 2678

Gawain Jones is rated 2647 and comes from England

ChessBase editor and author, Alejandro Ramirez is there

Needless to say, top juniors are also there to challenge the establishment, such as Samuel Sevian

Jeffery Xiong, 2647 FIDE, is the highest rated US junior

Still upset he got one-upped for Best Dressed man

25-year-old WIM Alisa Melekhina is a lawyer and frequent participant in the US Women's Championship

"Three chocolate chip cookies if I take the draw.... decisions, decisions"

Dr. Daaim Shabazz, is a professor of Global Business, and founder and editor of The Chess Drum, a site dedicated to providing coverage of black players in chess media. He founded the site in 2001, and has run it tirelessly ever since.

The hooded look, which first gained traction with poker players, has now permeated the chess world

Ensuring a smooth live broadcast is Lennart Ootes, and the man behind the many fine portraits at Millionaire Chess: photographer David Llada

Open Section standings after four rounds

Click for complete standings

Links Official tournament site All games in PGN The games are being broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 13 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.