2025 World Cup qualification quotas updated
The key changes for the 2025 edition include an updated distribution of continental spots based on 2024 ratings FIDE has updated the qualification quotas for the 2025 World Cup, and the Women’s World Cup – one of the most important global chess events, next to the Olympiad and the World Championship matches. “The World Cup represents a flagship event for FIDE, and each cycle, we carefully consider changes and adjustments. The final distribution of continental spots was determined after the ECU and ACC used their rights (described in the Rules: World Cup – Art 2.1.VII; Women’s World Cup – Art 2.1.VI) and transferred numbers of Olympiad spots to their Continental Events,” said Grandmaster Pavel Tregubov, secretary of FIDE’s Global Strategy Commission. “It should be noted that in the Open section of the Olympiad, only 80 teams will gain Olympiad spots for their federations, as the number of spots is reduced accordingly. Particularly, Europe will get 11 fewer Olympiad spots, and Americas – 9 fewer Olympiad spots. In the Women’s section of the Olympiad, 35 teams instead of 50 will gain Olympiad spots”, he added. For the World Cup, the number of players who can qualify remains the same – 206 – but the allocation of spots has changed, reflecting the new ratings and standings as of January 2024. Africa now has three spots, while the Americas have 21. Europe is on 41, while Asia is on 35. The nominations by FIDE President have increased from three to four. For the Women’s World Cup, the continental spots distribution has been adjusted based on updated rating lists. A slight modification in the number of spots has been made: Europe will now have 21 spots and Asia 20. Additionally, nominations by the FIDE President have increased from one to two. Final Distribution of Qualification Spots for Continental Events SPOTS Africa Americas Asia Europe World Cup Granted 3 3 3 3 Top 8 juniors 0 0 6 2 Top 60 players 0 9 26 25 Transferred Olympiad spots – 9 – 11 TOTAL 3 21 35 41 Women’s World Cup Granted 3 3 3 3 Top 4 girls 0 0 4 0 Top 23 players 0 0 13 10 Transferred Olympiad spots – 7 – 8 TOTAL 3 10 20 21 Qualification regulations can be found here: World Cuphandbook.fide.com/files/handbook/QualificationForWorldCup2025.pdf Women’s World Cup:handbook.fide.com/files/handbook/QualificationForWomenWorldCup2025.pdf For any questions and further information, please contact the Global Strategy Commission – gsc@fide.com
Rising stars and “veterans”: 2024 Women’s Olympiad preview
By WGM Anna Burtasova The Women’s Chess Olympiad, like the Open section, will set a participation record this year with 184 teams registered, compared to 162 in Chennai in 2022. Several women’s teams, including Liechtenstein, Guernsey, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, the US Virgin Islands, St. Lucia, and the Cayman Islands, will make their debut. The top teams from the last edition—Ukraine, Georgia, and India—are among the favorites in Budapest as well. According to the average rating of their rosters, the top teams are India (2467), Georgia (2462), Poland (2422), China (2416), and Ukraine (2400). India’s lineup is a mix of experienced players and young stars. In the absence of Humpy Koneru, who played in 2022, the team is led by Harika Dronavalli, participating in her 10th Olympiad. Harika debuted for the national team in 2004 and hasn’t missed an Olympiad since, playing on the first board six times. Her teammates include youngsters Vaishali R, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, and seasoned player Tania Sachdev, who has been on the national team since 2008. Indian chess is on the rise, and it’s time for them to shine. The Indian women have never been Olympic rating favorites before and have only one bronze medal, won at home in Chennai in 2022. Georgia, on the other hand, is a traditional chess superpower with nine medals in total (four gold, two silver, three bronze), the latest being silver in 2022 in a close contest with champions Ukraine. However, Georgia’s gold medals were won in the 90s, with the team still led by the legendary Nona Gaprindashvili, and the latest in 2008, with another legend, Maia Chiburdanidze, on board one. It’s time for their successors to remind us of Georgia’s women’s chess phenomenon. The lineup includes well-known names: Nana Dzagnidze, Lela Javakhishvili, Nino Batsiashvili, Bella Khotenashvili, and Salome Melia. For all of them, this is not their first or even second Olympiad, and they are eager to finally win the gold. Their task, as well as that of defending champions Ukraine, won’t be easy. Recent years have marked a generational shift in chess, and both Georgia and Ukraine are full of “veterans.” For example, Dzagnidze’s first Olympiad was in 2004. For Ukraine, another problem is the absence of the Muzychuk sisters. Without two of the world’s top-10 players, it will be difficult to fight for the top spot, yet the team of Yuliia Osmak is rated #5 in the starting list. The lineup continues with Anna Ushenina, Nataliya Buksa, Inna Gaponenko, and Evgeniya Doluhanova. The trump card for the Ukrainians is their spirit. They have proven that they can deliver surprises against all odds, so even a quest for gold is not completely out of the question. Apart from the up-and-coming India, China has made a bet on a new generation and is bringing in a very young squad. All four top players—Hou Yifan, Ju Wenjun, Tan Zhongyi, and Lei Tingjie—are missing the tournament. Instead, the country that holds the Olympic medal record, having made it to the podium 14 times, more than the Soviet Union, presents a team of emerging talents: 21-year-old Zhu Jiner, 14-year-old Lu Miaoyi, 19-year-old Song Yuxin, 29-year-old Guo Qi, and 27-year-old Ni Shiqun. Lu Miaoyi (pictured below) was mentioned by Tan Zhongyi in her post-Candidates interview as the greatest rising star. She’s already rated 2438 and is #31 in the women’s rating list. Born into a chess family, her mother, WGM Xu Yuanyuan, introduced her to chess at three and started formal training with her at the age of seven. The performance of this team will definitely attract a lot of attention, and rightly so. After the pandemic years, the young Chinese talents are still relatively unknown and are very likely to cause a sensation in Budapest. Reinforced by Alina Kashlinskaya and Aleksandra Maltsevskaya, who changed federations, Poland’s team is starting historically high at the third spot. Kashlinskaya proved her great form coming out of maternity leave by clinching the Tbilisi FIDE Women’s Grand Prix in August. The matriarch of Polish chess, Monika Socko, has been a constant in the Polish team since 1994. Blend in Oliwia Kiolbasa, who scored the best individual performance at the previous Olympiad (9.5/11 with a 2565 performance rating), and young talent Alicja Śliwicka, and you get a team that will be fighting for their first Olympic gold this year. The scene for the team competition is set, but let’s not forget about individual performances. Among the players to follow are many bright personalities, like Bodhana Sivanandan, who’s playing for England at 9 years old, or 80-year-old WIM Rani Hamid from Bangladesh, who is a 20-time national champion and started playing chess at 34, or WIM Natasha Morales Santos, a visually impaired player leading the team of Puerto Rico. In anticipation of the great chess spectacle starting on September 10, you can check the participating teams here: Chess-Results – 45th Chess Olympiad Budapest 2024. Photos: Lennart Ootes, Madelene Belinki, Mark Livshitz and Stev Bonhage
Exciting format changes announced for 2024 World Rapid & Blitz Championships
FIDE is pleased to announce a significant format change for the 2024 World Rapid & Blitz Championships, scheduled to take place in New York, Wall Street, from December 26 to 31, 2024. This year’s event will introduce a new knockout structure for the Blitz Championship, along with the addition of a free day between the championships, will serve as a media day and host the prestigious Chess Davos conference, bringing together the worlds of chess and finance. Blitz Championship: New Swiss-Knockout Format In a major shift from the traditional structure, the 2024 World Blitz Championship will be decided through a two-stage format. The first stage will follow the familiar Swiss system, consisting of 13 rounds for the open section and 11 rounds for the women’s section, with a time control of 3 minutes + 2 seconds increment per move. The top eight players from this stage will qualify for the knockout phase. The knockout stage will feature four-game matches, allowing players to have ample fighting opportunities, and giving viewers a show that will keep them on the edge of their seats. Speaking about the changes, FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky said: “This year, FIDE adjusted the format, and the Blitz Championship will be decided in the KO. This is not only much more exciting but also will allow for the direct match-ups of the strongest players to decide the winners. The Blitz format allows for the matches of four games to be played at each stage of the KO, whilst a long-enough qualifier with eight spots reduces the role of chance. Oftentimes, there is a trade-off between objective merit and attractiveness – here, we will have both. FIDE is already in talks with several networks, and we believe this format would ideally suit for TV broadcast.” Media Day & Chess Davos The free day on December 29 will serve as both a media day and the occasion for “Chess Davos”, a unique chess and finance conference. The media day is designed to offer press outlets access to interviews, behind-the-scenes insights, and other content that will enrich the broadcast experience for fans worldwide. These changes ensure that the 2024 FIDE World Rapid & Blitz Championships will be not only a gathering of top chess players but also a spectacle for media and fans. The knockout format for Blitz promises to create high-stakes drama while maintaining fairness, allowing the top eight players to battle it out in direct competition. This is one of the most anticipated events in the chess calendar, and whether attending in person or following via broadcast, chess fans are in for an extraordinary experience. Further details and ticket information will be released soon. Stay tuned for more updates as we count down to the grand event.
Chess Olympiad Open Section: Who will reign supreme in Budapest?
By WGM Anna Burtasova One hundred ninety-seven teams have registered for the open section of the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest. With FIDE currently encompassing 201 national federations, the registration numbers fall short by just four federations. As is often the case, not every registered team will make it to Budapest for various reasons. Nevertheless, this Olympiad is set to break participation records. The teams from the USA, India, and China stand out as rating favorites, with the average rating of all team members exceeding 2700. The USA has assembled an almost optimal roster. Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So, Leinier Dominguez, Levon Aronian, and reserve player Ray Robson bring the average rating to an impressive 2757. However, the team does not include the USA’s number one, Hikaru Nakamura (2802), or the current number five, Hans Niemann (2733). Niemann gained 45 rating points over the summer and did not make the cut before this leap. Nakamura also skipped the previous Olympiad in Chennai. This time, he’s absent again, despite being the world’s number two and a sure candidate for the first board. The USA has an extensive Olympiad record, having participated in 40 Olympiads and won 20 medals (6 gold, 6 silver, 8 bronze). Their latest successes were gold in 2016 and silver in 2018, with Nakamura being part of the team on both occasions. In their home Olympiad in Chennai, India had the privilege of fielding several teams, and their youth team performed better than the main one. Gukesh D and his teammates (Gukesh, Sarin, Praggnanandhaa, Adhiban, Sadhwani) won bronze, while the main team finished fourth. Three players from the youth team made it to this year’s roster. Arjun Erigaisi (21 years old) leads the squad, followed by Gukesh (18), Praggnanandhaa (19), Vidit (29), and Harikrishna (38). Anand has stepped aside for the younger generation, and apart from him, all of India’s top-rated stars will be in action. So far India co-won the 2020 Online Chess Olympiad and took bronze medals in 2014 and 2022. Now, they are stronger than ever and will definitely aim for gold. China is seeded third with an average rating of 2724. The World Champion Ding Liren (2736) has given way to Wei Yi (2762) as the highest-rated player. The team also includes Yu Yangyi, Bu Xiangzhi, and Wang Yue. The Chinese squad is no longer as young as it once was, with no players under 25. Wei is 25, Ding is 31, Yu is 30, Bu is 38, and Wang is 37. For Bu, this will be his eighth Olympiad, reflecting the general trend in male Chinese chess. The first player born in 2001 or later appears only in the 32nd place on the rating list. It contrasts sharply with their women’s team, where three young talents occupy the top three boards this year. China won the 2014 and 2018 Olympiads with a similar lineup but did not participate in 2022 due to coronavirus restrictions. Whether these “veterans” can compete against the rising Indian and Uzbekistan squads will be one of the most intriguing aspects of the competition. Defending champions Uzbekistan, who caused a sensation in Chennai, are seeded fourth and have the same lineup as two years ago: Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Javokhir Sindarov, Nodirbek Yakubboev, Shamsiddin Vokhidov, and Jakhongir Vakhidov. At 29, Vakhidov is the team’s “veteran,” with everyone else younger than 23. The average age of this team is just 22 years old, even younger than India’s average of 25 years. To bring in wisdom and experience, the team captain is former world champion Vladimir Kramnik. What about Magnus Carlsen? He is leading the Norway squad, which includes Carlsen, Christiansen, Tari, Amar, and Urkedal, with an average rating of 2670 and a sixth starting rank. Having swept all possible chess titles individually, the world’s number one is eager to win team medals. His enthusiasm and leadership brought Norway to fifth place in 2016, their best result so far. It is important to note that the team lineups are still provisional, and changes in the board order are possible. We might witness not only Ding Liren vs. Gukesh D (the two are set to play the world championship match but have never met at the board) but also Carlsen vs. Ding and Carlsen vs. Gukesh games – all very intriguing encounters. Chess Olympiads are not only about teams and nations; they also gather talents from every part of the globe. Some names to closely follow include 13-year-old Turkish prodigy Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, the youngest grandmaster in the world; Ukraine’s legends GMs Ruslan Ponomariov and Vasyl Ivanchuk; and “the world’s strongest amateur chess player,” trader by day GM Luke McShane. You can find all the team lineups here: Chess-Results – 45th Chess Olympiad Budapest 2024
Elections of Chairmen and Members of 3 FIDE Commissions to take place at FIDE GA
Following the FIDE Charter and FIDE Electoral Rules, the elections of the Chairmen and Members of the Verification Commission, Ethics and Disciplinary Commission, and Constitutional Commission will take place at the FIDE General Assembly meeting on September 21, 2024, in Budapest, Hungary. According to Articles 5.4 and 24.5 of the FIDE Electoral Rules, the candidates’ documents were examined by the Electoral Commission and FIDE Council. The valid candidacies: 1. Candidate for Chairman of the Verification Commission – Allen Priest1.1. Candidates for members of the Verification Commission: – Eric Bopala; – Gulmira Dauletova; – Alexander von Gleich; – Ken Koort; – Panu Laine; – Malcolm Powell; – Rajai Al Susi. 2. Candidates for Chairman of the Ethics and Disciplinary Commission; – Daniel Florea; – Yolander Persaud. – Johan Sigeman; – Babur Tolbaev; 2.1. Candidates for members of the Ethics and Disciplinary Commission: – Khaled Arfa; – Olga Baskakova; – Alan Borda; – Yanori Morera Campos; – Ravindra Dongre; – David Hater; – Yolander Persaud; – Ali Nihat Yazici. 3. Candidate for chairman of the Constitutional Commission – Roberto Rivello.3.1. Candidates for members of the Constitutional Commission: – Ivy Claire Amoko; – Jorge Arias Bouzada; – Yanori Morera Campos. – Erald Dervishi; – Marouane Tabti; – Ian Wilkinson
World Youth Rapid and Blitz Championships 2024: Registration is open
FIDE and the Slovenian Chess Federation invite all FIDE member federations to participate in the World Youth Rapid & Blitz Championships 2024. Each federation can register any number of players. The championships will be held in the Terme Čatež Hotel. More details are in the invitation letter. The dates of the Championships are from December 13 (arrival) to December 17 (departure) 2024. Participants must not have reached their 14th, 16th, 18th birthday before January 1, 2024. The champions of 2023 World Youth Rapid & Blitz Championships have personal rights to participate. The deadline for the registration is October 31, 2024. The official website of the event will be launched this week: worldyouthrb2024.fide.com E-mail: worldyouthrb@fide.com Regulations and invitation letter (PDF)
FIDE World Championship Match 2024 Regulations announced
FIDE is pleased to announce the official regulations for the highly anticipated FIDE World Championship Match 2024, set to take place in Singapore from November 20 to December 14, 2024. This prestigious event will see the reigning World Champion, GM Ding Liren, defend his title against the challenger, GM Gukesh D, the winner of the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2024. Key Highlights of the Regulations: Match Format and Time Control: The match will consist of 14 classical games. Each game will follow the time control of 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment starting from move 41. The player who scores 7.5 points or more wins the World Championship Match. If the score after fourteen games is equal, then tie-breaks will be played. Tie-Breaks: After consultations with both players, the format for tiebreaks has changed to introduce a gradual decrease in time controls. Prizes: The total prize fund for the match is $2.5 million, with specific distributions based on game outcomes. The prize fund will be distributed as follows: Each player will receive $200,000 for each game they win. The remaining prize money will be split equally between the players. If the winner is decided on a tie-break, the prize money will be divided as follows: the winner receives $1,300,000, and the runner-up receives $1,200,000. Schedule: The match schedule includes 14 game days, interspersed with rest days. A tie-break, if needed, will be held on December 13, followed by the Closing Ceremony on December 14. The full regulations are available here:handbook.fide.com/files/handbook/FWCM2024.pdf FIDE invites all chess fans to follow this historic match as two of the world’s best grandmasters battle for the ultimate title in chess. About the FIDE World Championship Match The FIDE World Championship Match is one of the most important and widely watched chess events globally. Held every two years, it features the defending World Champion and the Challenger, chosen through a qualification process culminating in the Candidates Tournament, which includes eight of the world’s top players. The current World Champion is Ding Liren, who secured his title by defeating Ian Nepomniachtchi in a thrilling match that went to tiebreaks in Astana, Kazakhstan, in April 2023. The Challenger is the 18-year-old prodigy Gukesh D from India, who emerged victorious in the Candidates Tournament held in Toronto in April 2024, and is the youngest challenger for the title in chess history. The 2024 FIDE World Championship Match will take place in Singapore, with the Singapore Chess Federation playing an important role in organizing and promoting the event. The match will be hosted at the luxurious Resorts World Sentosa, a premier resort known for its world-class facilities and stunning location, providing an ideal setting for this historic battle for the world chess crown.
FIDE September 2024 rating list published
The most important change in the top 10 in September is Alireza Firouzja’s return into the top 5 open. The 21-year-old Iran-born Frenchman gained 16 rating points in the final leg of the Grand Chess Tour in Saint Louis, while the runner-up Fabiano Caruana picked up 5 points and is now very close to the 2800 mark. Nodirbek Abdusattorov earned 4 rating points in this competition and not only moved one position up in the top 100 Open but also topped the junior’s rating list. Photo: St Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes The Women’s World Championship Challenger Tan Zhongyi emerged as the winner of the Belt and Road Women Chess Open in China to get 6 rating points and climb to the third position in the women’s list. Biggest gains in top 100 Open and Women Yao, Lan WGM ENG 2353 (+57) Gaal, Zsoka WIM HUN 2385 (+44) Niemann, Hans Moke GM USA 2733 (+22) Badelka, Olga IM FID 2430 (+21) Firouzja, Alireza GM FRA 2767 (+16) Kashlinskaya, Alina IM POL 2490 (+16) Tsolakidou, Stavroula IM GRE 2444 (+15) Injac, Teodora IM SRB 2425 (+14) Guichard, Pauline IM FRA 2374 (+13) Assaubayeva, Bibisara IM KAZ 2482 (+12) The biggest gainer in August, Yao Lan triumphally returned to the top 100 Women after a three-month break after earning an impressive 57 points in the 2024 British Championship and FE 22 Spilimbergo – Master. Photo: Lennart Ootes Zsoka Gaal picked up 44 rating points and reached her career-high 60th position in the women’s rating list following her strong performance in the SixDays Budapest July-August 2024. Hans Niemann firmly established himself as a top 20 player in August. After winning back-to-back matches over Anish Giri, Etienne Bacrot, and Nikita Vitiugov, the American collected 22 rating points and reached his career-high 16th position (2733) in the open rating list. Photo: Anna Shtourman Alina Kashlinskaya achieved arguably the greatest success in her career, winning FIDE Women’s Grand Prix Tbilisi, gaining 16 rating points and returning to the women’s top 15. The runner-up, Bibisara Assaubayeva, continues to ascend in the women’s rating list after collecting 12 points at this event. Stavroula Tsolakidou also had a great tournament in the Georgian capital, where she earned 15 points and debuts in women’s top 30. Pauline Guichard lost in a very close final of the French Women’s Championship but can find consolation in 13 rating points that lifted her to the 70th position in the list.
Alireza Firouzja wins 2024 Sinquefield Cup
Alireza Firouzja emerged as the triumphant winner of the 2024 Sinquefield Cup and the Grand Chess Tour after making a draw with Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and finishing on 6/9. The Iran-born Frenchman scored three victories over Fabiano Caruana, Ding Liren and Anish Giri and completed the event unbeaten. The last leg and final classical event of the Grand Chess Tour, a 10-player round-robin, took place in Saint Louis Chess Club from August 19-27. Following his first-round defeat at the hands of the champion, Fabiano Caruana bounced back with three wins and climbed to second place in the tournament and the overall GCT 2024 standings. Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave notched up final-round victories over Ian Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren, respectively, and also finished in the positive zone (5/9) tying for third place. Somewhat surprisingly, the current world championship challenger Gukesh Dommaraju drew all his nine games and shared fifth place with Wesley So and his countryman Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa. Photos: Crystal Fuller; Grand Chess Tour and Spectrum Studios Official website: grandchesstour.org/
UEFA Youth Sports Games conclude in Split, Croatia
The 2024 Youth Sports Games under the aegis of the UEFA Sports Foundation was held in four countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia throughout 2024. Primary and secondary-school-age children competed in ten sports free of charge, and the most successful individuals and teams traveled to Split to take part in the international finals. In addition to the games, the association organized regular sports and recreational activities for children to promote health, tolerance and ethical values. The association promotes a lifestyle based on understanding, friendship, solidarity and fair play as an alternative to addiction and deviant behavior. The FIDE chess tournament as part of the Plasma Youth Sports Games enjoys an increasing number of entries from season to season, and the 2024 edition was no exception. FIDE sponsored the rapid chess discipline (10 min + 5 sec increment) at this junior event. The participants competed in open and girls sections in the ages of 2009 and younger and 2013 and younger categories. The sumptuous closing ceremony occurred in Split from August 22-23 and was attended by FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich. “For chess, being a part of this prestigious multi-sport event is a significant step in the international recognition at big international sports competitions,” said FIDE President. As a part of the ceremony, FIDE Continental President for Europe GM Zurab Azmaiparashvili and WGM Aleksandra Dimitrijevic gave a simul to the local players.