Here's Your Chance To Play Magnus Carlsen!!!
The contest is now over . Congratulations to all who participated. Lakemonster, who played more than 600 eligible games, will get to play Magnus!
How cool would it be to play the world champion, GM Magnus Carlsen? Now one lucky ChessKid will have that chance!
No, we're not kidding. ChessKid.com has partnered with the Play Magnus App to make this dream come true!
Carlsen will play 10 Chess.com members and one ChessKid in a simultaneous exhibition online (played on Chess.com) on Sunday, December 14, 2014 at 10 am Pacific. The event will be broadcast live on Chess.com TV with analysis from Poppabear and U.S. Women's Champion GM Irina Krush!
GM Magnus Carlsen defending his title in Sochi, Russia last month.
How can ChessKids compete for this one coveted spot? Simple -- just join the Play Magnus! Club and play the most fast chess games in the 7-day period from December 5-11, 2014. The one ChessKid who plays the most qualifies!
As always, such cool contests need rules. Please read them carefully:
- This contest is only open to kids, not adults. If grownups would like to qualify, they can go to Chess.com and try to earn a spot there (there is a separate live tournament contest for diamond members from December 1-8, 2014).
- In order for us to track which ChessKid has played the most fast chess games, children must join the "Play Magnus! Club." This club used to be called the "King of Puzzles Contest Club," so if you were in that club, then you are automatically in the Play Magnus! Club.
- The contest will take place from 12:00 a.m. Pacific time December 5, 2014 to 11:59 p.m. Pacific time December 11, 2014.
- Fast chess games must be at least 15 moves to count (so don't just start a game and resign -- that won't count!). Note that we have raised the minimum number from the original rules.
- Added rule: No more than 25 percent of your games can be against the same opponent (we added this rule so that two kids cannot collude to play many quick games).
- Added rule: Only 50 games against family members will count. You can play more than 50, but only the first 50 will count.
- Added rule: You cannot abandon more than 10 percent of your games, or you will not be eligible to win.
- Added rule: We are going to very carefully look into the games of the winner and we will disqualify any game in which a ChessKid has not played to their fullest. Resigning right after move 15 in a playable position will mean that game does not count. Also, we know your level. If you suddenly start playing really quick moves that are poor just to finish quickly, that also will not count. The spirit of the contest is to get you playing more and making everyone better on the site - playing well below your level doesn't help anyone. You need to take your time to play your best!
- All of the new rules are applied to the entire week of games. So you may have already reached your 50-game limit against family members.
- Both gold members and free members are eligible to compete.
- If the winner cannot compete at 10 am Pacific on Sunday, December 14, then ChessKid.com will move on to second place, and so forth.
- ChessKid.com reserves the right to settle any disputes or issues not covered here and has the final authority to decide the winner. Keep in mind that the leaderboard in the Play Magnus! Club is not going to be the official final standings since we are going to analyze all top kid accounts to rule out games less than 15 moves and other games not adhering to all aspects of the rules.
As with all of our contests, we EXPECT that ChessKids play within the spirit of fair play and sportsmanship. Good luck and have fun as you attempt to Play Magnus!
Before you attempt to play him, maybe you should learn how to play like him!