In the new year with a new cycle – Newspaper Kommersant No. 3 (7448) dated 01/11/2023

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has reformed the championship cycle. The most noticeable change was the exclusion from it of one of the most important elements – the Grand Prix series, in which two tickets to the candidate tournament were played, which determines the contender for the world title.

The International Chess Federation has approved a reform of the so-called championship cycle, that is, a system of competitions in which a contender for the main title is identified. At the moment, it formally belongs to the Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, who has held the title for ten years. However, last summer warnedthat refuses the title. In April, it will be played by Russian Ian Nepomniachtchi and Chinese Ding Liren.

The reform did not affect the competition crowning the cycle. It remains the candidate tournament with the participation of eight grandmasters, which will automatically include the loser in the duel between Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren.

But rather serious changes have occurred in the main block of the cycle.

Most notable is the exclusion of the Grand Prix series from it. First conducted in 2008, it has long been a very important element of the system.

In the Grand Prix, two tickets to the candidate tournament were played, that is, a quarter of the total.

In 2022, the series consisted of three tournaments, in which most of the elite grandmasters played, and its total prize pool was €450,000.

World Chess was responsible for organizing the Grand Prix. Its executive director Ilya Merenzon, commenting on the reform initiated by FIDE, refused to suggest why the series disappeared from the cycle, as well as predict its future. According to him, Grand Prix tournaments “may exist as independent events”, but “the format and the need for such a series are still being discussed with the players.”

The exclusion from the cycle of this project increased the “specific weight” of another well-known chess competition. An additional, third, FIDE ticket, which since 2018 leads Arkady Dvorkovich singled out the World Cup. In the middle of the 2000s, he replaced the knockout world championships, invented by Dvorkovich’s predecessor Kirsan Ilyumzhinov. FIDE explained the expansion of the quota by the fact that the World Cup, in its opinion, has already become a “flagship” competition, and its “popularity and significance continue to grow.”

Two tickets still have one more tournament, which, thanks to a specific formula, provides a high probability of an unexpected outcome – Grand Swiss.

In addition, the right to play in the Candidates tournament in 2024 will go to the grandmaster with the highest rating in 2023. In this case, FIDE did not break with tradition.

The most difficult situation is with the second ticket, “selected” from the Grand Prix series. FIDE had to dedicate the lion’s share of the publication about the reform to her.

This ticket will be a reward to the chess player for tournament results in 2023. At the same time, we are talking only about tournaments – both international and domestic – with a serious average rating of participants. Ten points will be awarded for victory in each, eight points for second place, seven points for third, etc. The five best results will count towards grandmasters, four of them must be shown at competitions with classical time control.

Alexey Dospekhov