It didn't seem possible, but Maurice Ashley has done it. The first African-American International Chess Grandmaster has expanded his already tremendous contribution to the sport in spectacular fashion.
Ashley is the man behind the historic Million Dollar Open chess tournament which attracted almost 600 players from 40 countries, including a galaxy of 129 GMs, to America's gambling capital Las Vegas.
The contest, from October 9 to 12, not only offered the richest prize fund in chess history but also lifted the sedate sport into a new dimension, the glamorous and glitzy world symbolised by Las Vegas.
Ashley himself called the surprise move a kind of "rebranding," aimed at winning a broader audience for the sport as now enjoyed by golf and poker.
Also, he says, the MDO will signal a new era in prizes and recognition for players at all levels.
"A million dollars and Vegas go together, and chess needs to get a few facelifts," Ashley told the BBC. "This is the United States; we do things big, we do things grandiose. If you are going to get any kind of public attention in the US, you've got to bring the excitement. A million dollars in Vegas spells excitement."
So said so done. The controversial tournament produced a collection of exciting games including several by winner Philippine GM Wesley So and his finalist rival American GM Ray Robson.
So, 21, collected a first prize of US$100,000, the largest in the history of open tournaments. His Vegas performance also moved him into the world's Top Ten on the FIDE rating list. The most excitement however was generated by second placed Robson, a 19-year-old GM known for playing to the gallery, creating "uncontrollable chaos" on the chessboard with "powerful, risky and often reckless chess."
The young American collected a second prize of US$50,000.
This is how Chess News described his semi-final game with Yu Yangyi who led China to victory at the Tromso Olympiad last August: "Robson chose a sharp variation of the Najdorf Sicilian, leaving his king dangerously in the centre. Yu was winning, but could not quite finish his opponent.
The game lifted spectators from their chairs in the tournament hall when Robson's king ran for his life to safety. It was the most dramatic game of the tournament." Third-placed Yu earned US$25,000 while Jianchao won $14,000 for fourth. Other players also left with worthy prizes, from $8,000 as fifth.
The Vegas affair had an interesting format. After seven Swiss rounds, four players qualified for the rapid chess playoff. So and Robson moved into the final match after eliminating two Chinese in the semi finals. The two young GMs are virtual chess buddies, playing for the Webster University team coached by Susan Polgar.They have won the US intercollegiate championship three times in a row.
In an interview with the Huffington Post, Jean Hoffman, Executive Director of the US Chess Federation, described Ashley's MDO as "historic". And actor Will Smith's endorsement adds " the cool factor." In his turn, Ashley tells the Post the Las Vegas gambit was the biggest thing he has ever done, the gamble of his life.
It's arguable whether chess can win poker-style popularity, but he is convinced that the game can be played for money, that it can be inclusive and mainstream. "Yes, chess is cerebral, but it can also make you rich." Some of the finest financial bankers and mathematicians are also chess players, he pointed out.
It seems almost certain that the Million Dollar Open will become another of the world's major chess events, inspite of the strong criticism it has drawn from some US chess enthusiasts who are mostly upset with the US$1,000 entry fee and in the requirement to provide their own chess clocks.
According to "Doggy Style", "it does seem a ridiculous amount of money to pay just to play a few games of chess. As far as bringing your own equipment, that smacks of poor planning and corner cutting."
The simple and effective answer to "Doggy" and others like him, of course, is that nobody is forcing them to play.
But whatever the eventual fate of the MDO, Ashley's passion for chess and his multifaceted role in the modern history of the game are already well established. "His belief in the transformative power of chess has been the motif that has been transforming the world around him," says the Huffington Post.
Ashley's prize-winning work as coach among the youths of Harlem and Brooklyn, his contribution to the sport as player, author, commentator, puzzle inventor and motivational speaker have all contributed to his legendary status.
From the slums of New York to the glitter of Las Vegas, Ashley has taken chess on a fascinating journey which, of course, is far from over.