CNN wrote that with its recognition hovering and video games more and more transferring to on-line platforms, chess “seems to be ushering in a brand new period. The rise in curiosity has culminated within the launch of a revamped on-line competitors which would be the richest chess circuit within the recreation’s historical past.”
The optimism is predicated on this yr’s Champions Chess Tour which would be the new on-line house for the world’s greatest gamers, as they battle it out for a share of greater than $2 million.
“Performed on web site Chess.com, the annual circuit will include six tournaments, beginning with the Airthings Masters in February,” CNN quoted. “Each occasion has a $235,000 prize fund and the winners of every will qualify for an eight-player, stay finale in December which has a handbag of $500,000. An extra $100,000 might be shared among the many prime 10 finishers within the general standings.”
CNN wrote that a whole lot of gamers, together with world champion Magnus Carlsen and US grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura, will bid to be topped the Tour Champion on the finish of the yr. All titled gamers can bid to qualify for the principle occasions which include a 56-player knockout part. Matches might be performed in speedy format with gamers in the principle occasions permitted quarter-hour per recreation, plus a further three seconds for each transfer.
“Tons of of gamers from all over the world will compete and one might be left standing: the undisputed greatest on-line chess participant on the earth,” Chess.com CEO Erik Allebest mentioned in a press release.
“We count on the very best stage of play from the highest gamers and Chess.com will ship the very best stage of protection we will for the followers, taking in all that was sensible about each the World Championship and the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour.
“We can’t wait to share this with the chess neighborhood.”
CNN additional wrote: “On-line platform Chess.com says it now has greater than 102 million customers signed up – a 238% enhance from January 2020 – with 7.5 million energetic customers daily. The web site introduced it was struggling to maintain up with demand with servers failing through the busiest occasions of the day.”
“It’s by no means been a extra thrilling time to be a chess fan, however that’s additionally why it’s such a irritating time to have service outages,” Chess.com mentioned in a press release.
“We love you, we really feel you, we’re sorry, and we’re working as laborious as we will to return to stability and supply the very best expertise.
