The 2014 Candidates matches bids were reviewed today during the 84th FIDE Congress in Tallinn. As Chessdom informed earlier, the only bidding sides for the penultimate stage of the FIDE World Championship Cycle are Russia with Khanty Mansiysk and Bulgaria with Kozluduy.
After careful consideration, it resulted that the Bulgarian side did not provide any bank guarantee for the organization of the Candidates. Such one was present from the Russian side.
Despite the deadline being 5th of October, in the best interest of chess, FIDE decided to give an extra week to the Bulgarian side to provide the bank guarantee. If no such is available, next Monday Khanty Mansiysk will be declared the official venue of the Candidates Matches 2014.
More about the Candidates Matches 2014
The Candidates Tournament to determine the challenger for the 2014 World Chess Championship Match shall be organised in the first quarter of 2014 and represent an integral part of the World Chess Championship regulations for the cycle 2012-2014. Eight (8) players will participate in the Candidates Tournament and the winner qualifies for the World Chess Championship Match.
The players who qualify for the Candidates Tournament are determined according to the following, in order of priority:
– World Championship Match 2013 – The player who lost the 2013 World Championship Match qualifies.
– World Cup 2013 – The two (2) top winners of the World Cup 2013 qualify. In case one of the two top winners of the World Cup qualifies from 2.1 above, then the qualification spot goes to 3rd place of the World Cup.
– FIDE Grand-Prix 2012/2013 – The two (2) top players from the FIDE Grand-Prix 2012/2013 qualify to participate. In case any of the two top winners of the FIDE Grand-Prix qualify from 2.1 or 2.2 above, then the qualification spot(s) are given to the next player(s) in the final standings of the Grand-Prix.
Average FIDE Rating List of the 12 monthly lists starting from 1st August 2012 to 1st July 2013 – Two (2) players qualify to participate by rating (excluding the players who qualify from articles 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 above). A player can qualify by rating only if he/she participates in the World Cup 2013 or the FIDE Grand Prix 2012-2013. For the purpose of deciding the 2 rated player qualifiers, the average from the following twelve FIDE rating lists will be used: the sum of all 12 monthly lists starting from 1st August 2012 to 1st July 2013 divided by 12. A minimum of thirty (30) rated games in total is required for each player in the 12 monthly rating periods. In case of equality two decimals will be taken into consideration. If the numbers are still equal then the total number of games in all 12 rating periods shall be decisive. That means the player with the greater number of games shall qualify.
– One nominated player by the Organiser – A player, nominated by the organiser, with a rating of at least 2725 in the FIDE rating list of 1st July 2013.
– Replacements – If any replacement is needed due to withdrawal or refusal of participation, the first reserve player from the final standings of the FIDE Grand-Prix 2012/2013 will be invited. Any further replacement needed will be fulfilled from the average rating list described in article 2.4 above.
The 8 players will play a double round robin tournament (14 rounds). The players who are from the same federation will play each other in rounds 1 and 8 (if only two) and if up to four players are from the same federation in rounds 1, 2, 3 and 8, 9, 10.
So far six players have qualified for the Candidates Tournament:
Vladimir Kramnik and Dmitry Andreikin from the World Chess Cup 2013, Veselin Topalov and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov from the FIDE Grand Prix, Levon Aronian and Sergey Karjakin on average rating.
The player who loses in the 2013 World Chess Championship Match also qualifies. The final spot goes to the player nominated by the Organiser (rated at least 2725 in July 2013).
Grischuk will be nominated because he’s Russian.