Richest Amateur Chess Tournament Begins

The HB Global Chess Challenge, the richest amateur chess tournament of all time ($500 000 total prize fund) is set to begin today. The tournament is the brainchild of the first African American grandmaster, Maurice Ashley and sponsored by The HB Foundation. This is very cool. When I was 16 I won almsot 20 thousand dollars in just under three months at the 1985 New York Open and 1985 World Open. I hope the HB Global Chess Challenge provides a similar opportunity for a future strong chessplayer who would not otherwise have been interested in pursuing excellence in chess.