The odious tournament for the chess crown starts in Astana

An interesting fact – theoretically, any player can participate in the match for the title of world champion, regardless of gender and age. However, in the ranking of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), the top positions are traditionally occupied by male grandmasters, so separate competitions are held for women and juniors.

Norwegian Magnus Carlsen was the world champion for ten years. And then he got tired of everything. After the 2021 tournament, the champion unexpectedly announced that he did not intend to fight for the chess crown anymore, as his motivation had run out. And only a duel with the Iranian-French wunderkind Alireza Firouzja could return her. But he failed to win the Candidates Tournament. It was won by our grandmaster Jan Nepomniachtchi, whom Carlsen had already beaten in 2021 while defending the title.

And that’s not all weirdness. In the last Candidates Tournament, another of our grandmasters, Sergey Karyakin, had good chances of winning. Who was not allowed to play by the FIDE ethics commission due to his principled civic position – Sergey supported the CBO from the very beginning and never gave up his life convictions.

Therefore, the second number of the FIDE rating and the winner of the Candidates Tournament, Yang Nepomniachtchi, and the third number of the rating, the Chinese Ding Liren, will fight for the title of world champion in Astana. Nepomniachtchi will play under the FIDE flag, since in 2022 this organization banned Russian and Belarusian chess players from participating in official tournaments under national flags.

History of confrontations.

The opponents met 39 times, 13 of them in classical games. A slight advantage is on the side of the Russian: 3:2 in the classics and 13:9 in total. The last time the rivals played against each other was at the Candidates Tournament in June 2022. Then Nepomniachtchi won with black pieces in the first round, and the second game ended in a draw.

Characteristics of rivals

Here is what the organizers of the tournament think about the participants:

“Nepomniachtchi returned to the fight for the chess crown by winning the FIDE Candidates Tournament for the second time in a row, repeating the feat of Vasily Smyslov in 1956. Jan has a penchant for non-standard moves, which allows him to take a fresh look at any position. This quality, along with his deep and precise calculation skills, can make him a deadly opponent.”

“Liren’s resilience is borne out by the unprecedented 100-game unbeaten streak he had in 2017-2018, interrupted only by Carlsen in 2019. Violent at the board, in real life he is modest and quiet, which won the hearts of the fans.”

And here is what description of Liren was given in an interview with MK by Andrey Filatov, the president of the FSR:

“Very strong. Very lucky. For a chess player, this is a very important quality. Look: he got into the Candidates Tournament only because Sergey Karjakin was disqualified. Then he did not qualify for the world championship match and ended up in the fight for the crown only because Magnus Carlsen refused to participate. And now he has a chance to enter the history of chess. Although he’s already been lucky twice already, that’s enough. The fart must end.”

Match Format

The championship match is held every two years. Opponents will play a maximum of 14 games with classic time control: 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, 60 minutes for the next 20 moves and 15 minutes for the rest of the game with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move 61. The winner is the player who scores 7.5 points first, even if not all scheduled games have been played yet.

If the champion is not determined after 14 games, a tie-break will be played.

Tie-break. Additional matches are played until a champion is determined. A toss will be held to decide which player starts with white. Game time is gradually reduced:

– match 4 games of rapid chess. Each player has 25 minutes per game, with an addition of 10 seconds per move. If these games also end in a draw, then:

– a match of two blitz games, for each of which the chess players will be given 5 minutes plus 3 seconds per move. If the score remains equal, then another match of two blitz games will be played. There will also be a draw to decide which player starts with white before each of the two blitz games. If these games also end in a draw, then:

– each game with 3 minutes for each side and an additional 2 seconds per move. Further, the time is not reduced: in the event of a draw, the games will be repeated until one of the players wins.

Prize money

The prize fund will be 2 million euros. The winner will receive 60%; and 40% second chess player. If the champion is determined based on the results of tie-breaks, then the prize money will be divided 55% by 45%.

Where to see?

In Russia, the matches will be officially shown on the channels of the Match TV network. The broadcast of the first batch is already scheduled for April 9, it can be seen not only on the air of the federal broadcaster, but also on the channel’s website.

fan zones

It turns out that fan zones are not only at the World Cup. In Russia, chess has always been very popular, and matches for the title of world champion invariably arouse increased interest. So it will be this time.

The Chess Federation of Russia (RCF) in Moscow will open two fan zones for everyone, and admission will be free. The first one is in the Central House of Chess Player named after M.M. Botvinnik, where international grandmasters and experts will comment on the games. The second one is in the hotel complex “Izmailovo”, where on the dates of the match for the chess crown, for the first time in Moscow, the children’s and youth chess championship of Russia will be held. In addition, the FSHR, together with regional chess federations, organizes fan zones in other regions of our country.

Schedule

April 7 Opening ceremony

April 9, 12:00 First batch

April 10, 12:00 Second batch

April 12, 12:00 Third installment

April 13, 12:00 Fourth game

April 15, 12:00 Fifth game

April 16, 12:00 Sixth installment

April 18, 12:00 Seventh game

April 20, 12:00 pm

April 21, 12:00 Ninth game

April 23, 12:00 Tenth game

April 24, 12:00 Eleventh game

April 26, 12:00 Twelfth game

April 27, 12:00 Thirteenth game

April 29, 12:00 Fourteenth game

April 30, 12:00 Tie-breaks

May 1 Closing ceremony

If the champion is determined ahead of schedule, the closing ceremony will take place on the day of the last game or the next day.