Baku 2014
The Grand Prix series, consisting of four tournaments to be held over two years (2014-5), is beginning with Baku 2014.
Each of the 16 GP players will play in three tournaments out of four and all of his results will be taken into account in the final standings of the GP.
The winner and second placed player overall will qualify for the Candidates to be held in the last quarter of 2015 or the first half of 2016.
The Baku tournament takes place October 1st until the 15th in an eleven round robin with the time control of 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, with 60 minutes being added at that point and then each player allotted 15 minutes after the second time control and an increment of 30 seconds per move allowed from move 61 onwards.
The twelve contestants are Fabiano Caruana (ITA), Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE), Teimour Rajabov (AZE), Rustam Kasimdzhanov (UZB), Boris Gelfand (ISR), Leinier Dominguez (CUB), Hikaru Nakamura (USA) and the Russians Alexander Grischuk, Peter Svidler, Sergey Karjakin, Evgeny Tomashevsky and Dmitry Andreikin.
The total prize money offered by the host city is 120,000 Euros, with the winner getting 20,000 Euros.
The Grand Prix tournaments are:
1 Oct. 1 – Oct. 15 Baku, Azerbaijan
2 Oct. 20 - Nov. 3 Tashkent, Uzbekistan
3 Feb. 14 – Feb. 28 Tehran, Iran
4 May 13 – May 27 Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia*
Looking at the participants lists, it appears to me that eight players will no sooner finish at Baku then they will go to Tashkent for a further grueling eleven rounds viz. Caruana, Nakamura, Karjakin, Mamedyarov, Gelfand, Andreikin, Radjabov and Kasimdzhanov.
This seems to be cruel and unusual punishment – how can this be? They will be joined by four fresh players MVL, Giri, Jakovenko and Ghaem (IRN).
No Ivanchuk this time around. Pity.
_______
* It is not entirely clear whether the fourth round will take place in Moscow or in Khanty-Mansiysk.
The Grand Prix series, consisting of four tournaments to be held over two years (2014-5), is beginning with Baku 2014.
Each of the 16 GP players will play in three tournaments out of four and all of his results will be taken into account in the final standings of the GP.
The winner and second placed player overall will qualify for the Candidates to be held in the last quarter of 2015 or the first half of 2016.
The Baku tournament takes place October 1st until the 15th in an eleven round robin with the time control of 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, with 60 minutes being added at that point and then each player allotted 15 minutes after the second time control and an increment of 30 seconds per move allowed from move 61 onwards.
The twelve contestants are Fabiano Caruana (ITA), Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE), Teimour Rajabov (AZE), Rustam Kasimdzhanov (UZB), Boris Gelfand (ISR), Leinier Dominguez (CUB), Hikaru Nakamura (USA) and the Russians Alexander Grischuk, Peter Svidler, Sergey Karjakin, Evgeny Tomashevsky and Dmitry Andreikin.
The total prize money offered by the host city is 120,000 Euros, with the winner getting 20,000 Euros.
The Grand Prix tournaments are:
1 Oct. 1 – Oct. 15 Baku, Azerbaijan
2 Oct. 20 - Nov. 3 Tashkent, Uzbekistan
3 Feb. 14 – Feb. 28 Tehran, Iran
4 May 13 – May 27 Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia*
Looking at the participants lists, it appears to me that eight players will no sooner finish at Baku then they will go to Tashkent for a further grueling eleven rounds viz. Caruana, Nakamura, Karjakin, Mamedyarov, Gelfand, Andreikin, Radjabov and Kasimdzhanov.
This seems to be cruel and unusual punishment – how can this be? They will be joined by four fresh players MVL, Giri, Jakovenko and Ghaem (IRN).
No Ivanchuk this time around. Pity.
_______
* It is not entirely clear whether the fourth round will take place in Moscow or in Khanty-Mansiysk.
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