A one-day, $4 million, poker-style buy-in chess match is on the agenda for November 21, to be battled out amongst GMs Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Fabiano Caruana, Ian Nepomniachtchi, and Hans Niemann. The entire thing sprung out of a dialog this week between Niemann and organizer Wadim Rosenstein on social media platform X.
Neglect the world championship, neglect the Champions Chess Tour. On Thursday, November 21 of this 12 months, one chess participant is perhaps incomes the most important pay-out for a single day of chess within the historical past of the sport – if all the things works out as deliberate and introduced on X (previously Twitter). That participant would stroll away with $2 million after enjoying simply six video games of speedy chess towards three individuals, with all 4 gamers chipping in $1 million.
This wild idea, taken from the poker world the place up-front funds are fairly frequent, was conceived by Rosenstein, a German businessman and proprietor of a conglomerate of corporations referred to as WR Group. The chess world is aware of Rosenstein because the organizer of final 12 months’s WR Masters in Dusseldorf (February 2023) and the World Speedy Crew Championship (August 2023), the place the format demanded an under-2000 participant within the line-up, which made it attainable for him to be a part of the successful crew. A second version might be held August 1-6 in Astana, Kazakhstan.
The place did the buy-in match come from? Properly, it began on Might 4, when the official WR Masters account on X introduced a model new match to be held October 31-November 3 in Dubai with a brand new time management. 4 days later, Rosenstein introduced an identical occasion from his private account to be held October 14-18 in London.
Thrilling information! 🌟
Prepare for an epic showdown in Dubai from October thirty first to November third, that includes 8 of the world’s high gamers!At present, we unveil the primary batch of individuals: Giri🇳🇱, Vidit🇮🇳, Vachier-Lagrave🇫🇷 and Yu🇨🇳!
Match format:
⏱️ Time management: 60 min for… pic.twitter.com/akyfNvgOoX
— WR_Chess_Masters (@wr_chess) Might 4, 2024
🇬🇧 Keep tuned for updates on the WR Chess Masters Cup, happening from October 14th to 18th at one in all London’s most unique venues!
It will likely be an intense elimination match with a Okay.O. System of best-of-two video games 🏆
Time management:
⏱️ 60 min for the primary 30 strikes, 30 min… pic.twitter.com/Rj5dKXguWT
— Wadim Rosenstein (@WadimRosenstein) Might 8, 2024
That London occasion caught the curiosity of Niemann, who requested on Might 9 on X: “Would you want to ask America’s brightest expertise? I might be honored with the chance to take part.”
Rosenstein rapidly replied: “I am happy to ask you to take part in a RR 15+0, that includes a $1 million buy-in. The match will embody 4 gamers, with the prize distribution as follows: 1st place $2 million, 2nd place $1.5 million, third place $0.4 million, and 4th place $0. Venue: Weissenhaus Personal Nature Luxurious Resort. Would the primary week of December work nicely for you?”
@HansMokeNiemann I am happy to ask you to take part in a RR 15+0, that includes a $1 million buy-in. The match will embody 4 gamers, with the prize distribution as follows: 1st place $2 million, 2nd place $1.5 million, third place $0.4 million, and 4th place $0. Venue:… https://t.co/lU32ARYjhn
— Wadim Rosenstein (@WadimRosenstein) Might 9, 2024
Notice that one of many replies to this tweet got here from Abdusattorov, who stated that he was “prepared to hitch the present.” Niemann additionally replied, writing: “Who’re the opposite gamers? The one potential candidates are afraid of dropping to me.”
The one potential candidates are afraid of dropping to me.
—Hans Niemann
The dialog continued on X, open for everybody to see, as Rosenstein wrote: “I’ll invite 3 gamers from the highest 10 rankings, and I am going to be sure that every of them contributes $1 million buy-in. This has already been confirmed, by the way in which. Everybody is keen to showcase their expertise. When you’re severe, would you want me to rearrange airplane tickets for the occasion at Weissenhaus on December 1st?”
Weissenhaus was the venue for the inaugural G.O.A.T. Problem in February of this 12 months, funded by the German businessman Jan Henric Buettner.
After that tweet, issues had been quiet for per week, however earlier in the present day Rosenstein confirmed the entire thing, once more on X, with a modified location and date in an effort to keep away from a conflict with the Bundesliga: “Guess what? We have secured $3M, the venue is booked, the match is formally registered and [Nepomniachtchi] and [Abdusattorov] are able to take you on in Düsseldorf on the [Hyatt hotel] on November twenty first. We kick off at 3 pm CET. And naturally, we have invited America’s brightest expertise, [Caruana], to hitch within the enjoyable. All the time at your service, Hans!
Rosenstein then additionally tagged IM Levy Rozman, who had requested to be a commentator, and even Elon Musk (suggesting a reside broadcast on his platform X) in the identical tweet, saying: “[Rozman] Rating a retweet, and you have your self a front-row seat to be our official commentator! An enormous shoutout for making this match occur by @X! Because of a single reply, we’re making historical past with the biggest prize fund ever seen in a chess competitors. To indicate our gratitude, we’ll be streaming it proper on @X and anticipating over 10M views! P.S.: [Musk] we’ll be looking out for anybody utilizing these sneaky Stockfish butt vibes! If issues get noisy, do not blame us!”
@HansMokeNiemann Guess what?
We have secured $3M, the venue is booked, the match is formally registered and @lachesisq and @NodirbekGM are able to take you on in Düsseldorf on the @Hyatt on November twenty first. We kick off at 3 pm CET.
And naturally, we have invited America’s… pic.twitter.com/3ut5u9Kt69
— Wadim Rosenstein (@WadimRosenstein) Might 15, 2024
In a telephone name, Rosenstein confirmed to Chess.com that every one the messages on X had been genuine and that the tournaments in Dubai, London, and Dusseldorf are all scheduled certainly. As for the third, “poker-style” buy-in match, he stated the concept got here to him when Niemann requested to be invited to London.
“That was a crucial second,” Rosenstein stated. “I invite folks based mostly on ranking and Hans’ ranking isn’t excessive sufficient. He says he’s the brightest expertise however his ranking is low [currently 2688 classical – PD] so that’s a variety of speak!” With a format impressed by poker, Rosenstein appears to be calling Niemann’s bluff: “Hans needs to promote himself as a very good participant, so then, let’s play for the large cash, and the world will know.”
As to the format of speedy chess, Rosenstein stated: “I believe that is the longer term. Quick time controls are a means of adjusting to our time. We all know classical, it’s previously. For viewers, chess ought to be a present.”
For viewers, chess ought to be a present.
—Wadim Rosenstein
A $2 million first prize for a one-day occasion has by no means been seen earlier than in chess – nor has a pay-out of zero {dollars} to the participant in final place. Rosenstein: “Chess is extra fascinating than poker however it’s not ordinary that folks earn some huge cash. Additionally in tennis, folks earn way more. Why not in chess?”
The big sums concerned, along with commentary by Rozman, the most important chess YouTuber with shut to 5 million subscribers, appears to ensure fairly the spectacle. How the chess world will react to this exceptional, very high-stakes occasion, stays to be seen.
Based on Rosenstein, Abdusattorov, Caruana, and Nepomniachtchi have all discovered backers, secured their $1 million, and are able to play. Nevertheless, on the time of writing, Chess.com might solely verify that is the case for Caruana. Rosenstein famous that Niemann, who’s at present within the main group within the Sharjah Masters, has confirmed his participation as nicely, and has till October 21 to switch his million {dollars}. All in all, the probability of this occasion truly occurring – it will coincide with the world championship match between GMs Ding Liren and Gukesh Dommaraju – is unclear in the intervening time.
