The fabulous year of 2023 for Indian chess ended with the heartwarming news of five Indians — R. Praggnanandhaa, Vidit Gujrathi, D. Gukesh, R. Vaishali and K. Humpy — qualifying for the Candidates 2024, scheduled in Toronto from April 4 to 22, 2024.
LIVE BLOG | CANDIDATES 2024 ROUND 1
The winners of these eight-player events (in open and women’s category), to be played for the first time at the same venue, will earn the right to challenge the reigning World champions for the title. Currently, Chinese Ding Liren and Ju Wenjun hold the World titles.
Since 1991, five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand remains the only Indian to play in the Candidates.
Here’s all you need to know about the Candidates 2024:
QUALIFICATION ROUTE
Candidates Qualificaion Route
Ian Nepomniachtchi (FIDE, 2758) – qualified as the previous World Championship match runner-up.
Praggnanandhaa R (India, 2747) – qualified as the 2023 World Cup runner-up.
Fabiano Caruana (USA, 2804) – qualified as the third-place finisher at the 2023 World Cup.
Nijat Abasov (Azerbaijan, 2632) – qualified as the fourth-place finisher at the 2023 World Cup after the winner, Magnus Carlsen, declined his right to participate.
Vidit Gujrathi (India, 2747) – qualified as the 2023 Grand Swiss winner.
Hikaru Nakamura (USA, 2789) – qualified as the 2023 Grand Swiss runner-up.
Alireza Firouzja (France, 2760) – qualified as the best by rating on January 1, 2024.
Gukesh D (India, 2747) – qualified as the 2023 FIDE Circuit winner.
ALSO READ | Candidates 2024: A thrilling challenger hunt on the cards
Women’s Candidates Qualification Route
Kateryna Lagno (FIDE, 2542) – qualified as the 2022−23 Women’s Grand Prix winner.
Aleksandra Goryachkina (FIDE, 2553) – qualified as the 2022−23 Women’s Grand Prix runner-up.
Nurgyul Salimova (Bulgaria, 2426) – qualified as the 2023 Women’s World Cup runner-up.
Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine, 2520) – qualified as the third-place finisher at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Vaishali R (India, 2481) – qualified as the 2023 Women’s Grand Swiss winner.
Tan Zhongyi (China, 2521) – qualified as the 2023 Women’s Grand Swiss runner-up.
Humpy Koneru (India, 2546) – qualified as the best by rating on January 1, 2024. The rating spot became available as a replacement for the Women’s World Cup winner, since Goryachkina had already qualified through the WGP.
SCHEDULE
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Thursday, April 4, 2024 - Round 1
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Friday, April 5, 2024 - Round 2
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Saturday, April 6, 2024 - Round 3
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Sunday, April 7, 2024 - Round 4
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Monday,, April 8, 2024 - Rest Day
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Tuesday, April 9, 2024 - Round 5
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Wednesday, April 10, 2024 - Round 6
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Thursday, April 11, 2024 - Round 7
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Friday, April 12, 2024 - Rest day
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Saturday, April 13, 2024 - Round 8
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Sunday, April 14, 2024 - Round 9
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Monday, April 15, 2024 - Round 10
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Tuesday, April 16, 2024 - Rest day
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Wednesday, April 17, 2024 - Round 11
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Thursday, April 18, 2024 - Round 12
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Friday, April 19, 2024 - Rest day
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Saturday, April 20, 2024 - Round 13
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Sunday, April 21, 2024 - Round 14
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Monday, April 22, 2024 - Tie break rounds (if needed)
— All matches start at 14.30 Toronto time, or midnight IST (the next day)
FORMAT
Both the Candidates and the Women’s Candidates are a double round-robin tournament with each player playing the rest of the field twice in a total of 14 rounds.
Players get 1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw and 0 points for a loss.
TIME CONTROL
The time control for the open category is 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, then 30 minutes for the rest of the game, plus a 30-second increment per move starting from move 41.
For the women’s category, it is 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, then 30 minutes for the rest of the game, plus a 30-second increment per move starting from move one.
PRIZE MONEY
The prize money for the open category is €48,000 (INR 43.48 Lakh) for first place, €36,000 for second place, and €24,000 for third place (with players on the same number of points sharing prize money, irrespective of tie-breaks), plus €3,500 per half-point for every player, for a total prize pool of €500,000.
In the women’s candidates, the prize money is half that of the open category, with the winner getting €24,000, €18,000 for second place, and €12,000 for third place.
In addition, €1,750 per half-point for every player, for a total prize pool of €250,000.
PAIRING
ROUND ONE PAIRINGS:
OPEN SECTION
Fabiano Caruana vs. Hikaru Nakamura
Nijat Abasov vs. Ian Nepomniachtchi
Alireza Firouzja vs. Praggnanandhaa R
Gukesh D vs. Vidit Gujrathi
Women’s Candidates Tournament:
Aleksandra Goryachkina vs. Kateryna Lagno
Anna Muzychuk vs. Nurgyul Salimova
Lei Tingjie vs. Tan Zhongyi
Vaishali R vs. Humpy Koneru
LIVE STREAMING INFO
Where to watch the live stream of the Candidates 2024 chess?
The live streaming of the Candidates 2024 will be available on the FIDE YouTube channel.
Which TV channel will broadcast the Candidates 2024 chess?
There has been no official announcement for the broadcasting of the Candidates 2024 in India.
ALSO READ | Candidates 2024: Indian quintet on a historic quest
INDIANS IN ACTION — SCHEDULE
Round 1: April 4 (14:30 Local time; 12:00 AM IST)
Alireza Firouzja (FRA) vs R. Praggnanandhaa (IND)
D. Gukesh (IND) (IND) vs Vidit Gujrathi (IND)
Vaishali Rameshbabu (IND) vs Humpy Koneru (IND)
Round 2: April 5 (14:30 Local time; 12:00 AM IST)
Hikaru Nakamura (USA) vs Vidit Gujrathi (IND)
R. Praggnanandhaa (IND) vs D Gukesh (IND)
Kateryna Lagno (RUS) vs Humpy Koneru (IND)
Tan Zhongyi (CHN) vs Vaishali Rameshbabu (IND)
Round 3: April 6 (14:30 Local time; 12:00 AM IST)
D. Gukesh (IND) vs Ian Nepomniachtchi (RUS)
Vidit Gujrathi (IND) vs R. Praggnanandhaa (IND)
Vaishali Rameshbabu (IND) vs Nurgyul Salimova (BUL)
Humpy Koneru (IND) vs Tan Zhongyi (CHN)
Round 4: April 7 (14:30 Local time; 12:00 AM IST)
Hikaru Nakamura (USA) vs R. Praggnanandhaa (IND)
Ian Nepomniachtchi (RUS) vs Vidit Gujrathi (IND)
Fabiano Caruana (USA) vs D. Gukesh (IND)
Nurgyul Salimova (BUL) vs Humpy Koneru (IND)
Aleksandra Goryachkina (RUS) vs Vaishali Rameshbabu (IND)
Round 5: April 9 (14:30 Local time; 12:00 AM IST)
D. Gukesh (IND) vs Nijat Abasov (AZE)
Vidit Gujrathi (IND) vs Fabiano Caruana (USA)
R. Praggnanandhaa (IND) vs Ian Nepomniachtchi (RUS)
Vaishali Rameshbabu (IND) vs Anna Muzychuk (UKR)
Humpy Koneru (IND) vs Aleksandra Goryachkina (RUS)
Round 6: April 10 (14:30 Local time; 12:00 AM IST)
D. Gukesh (IND) vs Hikaru Nakamura (USA)
Vidit Gujrathi (IND) vs Alireza Firouzja (FRA)
R. Praggnanandhaa (IND) vs Nijat Abasov (AZE)
Vaishali Rameshbabu (IND) vs Kateryna Lagno (RUS)
Humpy Koneru (IND) vs Lei Tingjie (CHN)
Round 7: April 11 (14:30 Local time; 12:00 AM IST)
Fabiano Caruana (USA) vs R. Praggnanandhaa (IND)
Nijat Abasov (AZE) vs Vidit Gujrathi (IND)
Alireza Firouzja (FRA) vs D. Gukesh (IND)
Anna Muzychuk (UKR) vs Humpy Koneru (IND)
Lei Tingjie (CHN) vs Vaishali Rameshbabu (IND)
Round 8: April 13 (14:30 Local time; 12:00 AM IST)
R. Praggnanandhaa (IND) vs Alireza Firouzja (FRA)
Vidit Gujrathi (IND) vs D. Gukesh (IND)
Humpy Koneru (IND) vs Vaishali Rameshbabu (IND)
Round 9: April 14 (14:30 Local time; 12:00 AM IST)
Vidit Gujrathi (IND) vs Hikaru Nakamura (USA)
D. Gukesh (IND) vs R. Praggnanandhaa (IND)
Humpy Koneru (IND) vs Kateryna Lagno (RUS)
Vaishali Rameshbabu (IND) vs Tan Zhongyi (CHN)
Round 10: April 15 (14:30 Local time; 12:00 AM IST)
Ian Nepomniachtchi (RUS) vs D. Gukesh (IND)
R. Praggnanandhaa (IND) vs Vidit Gujrathi (IND)
Nurgyul Salimova (BUL) vs Vaishali Rameshbabu (IND)
Tan Zhongyi (CHN) vs Humpy Koneru (IND)
Round 11: April 17 (14:30 Local time; 12:00 AM IST)
R. Praggnanandhaa (IND) vs Hikaru Nakamura (USA)
Vidit Gujrathi (IND) vs Ian Nepomniachtchi (RUS)
D. Gukesh (IND) vs Fabiano Caruana (USA)
Humpy Koneru (IND) vs Nurgyul Salimova (BUL)
Vaishali Rameshbabu (IND) vs Aleksandra Goryachkina (RUS)
Round 12: April 18 (14:30 Local time; 12:00 AM IST)
Nijat Abasov (AZE) vs D. Gukesh (IND)
Fabiano Caruana (USA) vs Vidit Gujrathi (IND)
Ian Nepomniachtchi (RUS) vs R. Praggnanandhaa (IND)
Anna Muzychuk (UKR) vs Vaishali Rameshbabu (IND)
Aleksandra Goryachkina (RUS) vs Humpy Koneru (IND)
Round 13: April 20 (14:30 Local time; 12:00 AM IST)
R. Praggnanandhaa (IND) vs Fabiano Caruana (USA)
Vidit Gujrathi (IND) vs Nijat Abasov (AZE)
D. Gukesh (IND) vs Alireza Firouzja (FRA)
Humpy Koneru (IND) vs Anna Muzychuk (UKR)
Vaishali Rameshbabu (IND) vs Lei Tingjie (CHN)
Round 14: April 21 (14:30 Local time; 12:00 AM IST)
Hikaru Nakamura (USA) vs D. Gukesh (IND)
Alireza Firouzja (FRA) vs Vidit Gujrathi (IND)
Nijat Abasov (AZE) vs R. Praggnanandhaa (IND)
Kateryna Lagno (RUS) vs Vaishali Rameshbabu (IND)
Lei Tingjie (CHN) vs Humpy Koneru (IND)
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