Recently in a video published on ChessBase India entitled " Fireside chat with Vishy Anand ", Vishy was asked - "What would be your strategy for the coming qualification cycle?" To which Anand replied, "My route is fairly narrow in the sense that I have to play the World Cup and qualify. The second route is narrower and that is via rating. I would have to gain at least 30 points and that too pretty fast, because it is based on monthly averages!" What Anand didn't know at that point is that FIDE would come up with another way of qualifying for the Candidates 2020 and it released this on the 10th of January 2019. One spot of qualification to the Candidates 2020 will be reduced via Rating criteria and the new FIDE Grand Swiss is announced. What is this about? Get to know all about it in the article below.

Currently the way to become a World Champion is simple. Qualify for the Candidates 2020, win the Candidates tournament, you get a right to play a match with Magnus Carlsen, beat him and become the World Champion. But how does one qualify for the Candidates 2020? Until 10th of January 2019, these were the ways in which you could qualify for the Candidates:

1. One spot via Runner-up at the Previous World Championship (Fabiano Caruana)

2. Two spots via FIDE Grand Prix

3. Two spots via FIDE World Cup to be held in 2019

4. Two spots via Rating (two highest rated players, who have not qualified through other means)

5. One spot via FIDE President's wild card

Post 10th of January 2019, there is one major change in the qualification channels. One spot via Rating criteria (point 4) is reduced and FIDE has come up with FIDE Grand Swiss - a swiss tournament with 105 players in the world and the winner of that event will qualify for the Candidates 2020!

Who qualifies for the FIDE Grand Swiss?

Average FIDE Rating of the 12 monthly lists starting from July 1st 2018 to June 1st 2019.

One hundred (100) players qualify by their average rating. For the purpose of deciding the 100 qualifiers by rating, the average ELO from the twelve (12) standard FIDE rating lists from July 1st 2018 to June 1st 2019 is used. In addition, the following players get a direct entry:

• Women’s World Champion as of June 1st 2019.

• Junior U20 World Champion as of June 1st 2019.

• World Senior 50+ Champion as of June 1st 2019.

• World Senior 65+ Champion as of June 1st 2019.

• One qualifier from the ACP Tour based on standings as of June 1st 2019.

Who are the Indians who can qualify for this event?

If you have a look at the top 100 players list as on 1st of January 2019, you will see that six Indians - Anand, Harikrishna, Vidit, Adhiban, Sasikiran and Sethuraman have excellent chances of qualifying for the FIDE Swiss Grand. Parimarjan Negi could also make it to the list, if he wishes to participate. The only other Indian who has a decent chance if he pumps up his rating quickly, is Surya Sekhar Ganguly, who is on 2638. But as already six months have passed by, his chances seem quite difficult.

How does the FIDE Grand Swiss work?

1. Swiss system, 11 rounds.

2. As a minimum, the winner of the FIDE Grand Swiss qualifies for the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2020. If the winner of the FIDE Grand Swiss qualifies to Candidates 2020 via a different qualification path or does not need to qualify, the qualification spot goes to the highest-placed player in the tournament who did not or will not qualify by other means.

Schedule of the event:

Arrivals: 1 day

Opening Ceremony, Players Meeting: 1 day

Round 1: 1 day

Round 2: 1 day

Round 3: 1 day

Round 4: 1 day

Round 5: 1 day

Round 6: 1 day

Free day: 1 day

Round 7: 1 day

Round 8: 1 day

Round 9: 1 day

Round 10: 1 day

Round 11 and Closing ceremony: 1 day

Departures: 1 day

TOTAL: 15 days (14 nights)

Tiebreaks:

If the top two (2) or more players score the same points, the tie is to be decided by the following criteria, in order of priority:

a) Tournament performance rating - TPR

b) Median Buchholz (cut 1)

c) Buchholz

d) Rapid play-off. The format is decided by the Chief Arbiter.

Prizes:

The total minimum prize fund amounts to four hundred thousand (400,000) US dollars. The amount is net and cleared of any local taxes. The money prizes shall be allocated as follows (in US dollars):

1st place: 70,000

2nd place: 50,000

3rd place: 40,000

4th place: 35,000

5th place: 30,000

6th place: 25,000

7th place: 20,000

8th place: 16,000

9th place: 13,000

10th place: 11,000

11th - 15th places: 8,000 each

16th - 20th places: 5,000 each

21st - 25th places: 3,000 each

26th-30th places: 2,000 each

Where will the FIDE Grand Swiss be held?

All those who are interested to organize the FIDE Grand Swiss should send their bids to office@fide.com before February 9, 2019.

More details:

FIDE announcement of the FIDE Grand Swiss

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.