The FIDE Grand Prix 2014–15 was a series of four chess tournaments that formed part of the qualification cycle for the World Chess Championship 2016. Fabiano Caruana finished first, and Hikaru Nakamura second in the overall standings. Both therefore qualified for the Candidates Tournament 2016.
Format In contrast to the two previous Grand Prix cycles, the number of tournaments was decreased from six to four, and players played three tournaments instead of four. As a result, no results were discarded, but each tournament result counted toward the total points. Sixteen players were selected to compete in the tournaments.
Each tournament was a 12-player, single round-robin tournament. In each round players scored 1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw and 0 for a loss. Grand Prix points were then allocated according to each player's standing in the tournament: 170 Grand Prix points for first place, 140 for second place, 110 for third place, and then 90 down to 10 points by steps of 10. In case of a tie in points the Grand Prix points were shared evenly by the tied players.
Players The Grand Prix consisted of 16 players. FIDE announced 11 qualifiers as per regulations, plus one nominee from each of the four organisers, and one FIDE President nominee.
Five original invitees declined to participate: Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand, Levon Aronian, Vladimir Kramnik and Veselin Topalov. The first four of these had also declined to participate in the FIDE Grand Prix 2012–13. In a later interview, Aronian said "I found it quite insulting to compete in a tournament with the first prize half as large as my participation fee [for] almost any other tournament [at] that time." Moreover, there was no prize money for overall standings, as there had been in previous editions.
All five Grand Prix replacements were determined by the rating list as per regulations.
The final list of players was announced on 9 September 2014. Iranian player Ehsan Ghaem-Maghami was replaced by Georgian Baadur Jobava after the third stop was moved from Tehran to Tbilisi. InviteeCountryQualifying method Dmitry Andreikin Chess World Cup 2013 Evgeny Tomashevsky Maxime Vachier-Lagrave Fabiano Caruana FIDE rating list (from May 2013 to April 2014) Alexander Grischuk Hikaru Nakamura Sergey Karjakin Leinier Domínguez Shakhriyar Mamedyarov Boris Gelfand Peter Svidler Dmitry Jakovenko organiser's nominees Teimour Radjabov Rustam Kasimdzhanov Baadur Jobava Anish Giri FIDE President's nominee
Prize money and Grand Prix points The prize money was €120,000 per single Grand Prix (down from €170,000) and there was no financial bonus for the overall standings (€420,000 last in 2012–13). Place Single Grand Prix event Grand Prix points 1 €20,000 170 2 €15,000 140 3 €13,000 110 4 €11,000 90 5 €10,000 80 6 €9,500 70 7 €9,000 60 8 €8,500 50 9 €7,500 40 10 €6,500 30 11 €5,500 20 12 €4,500 10
Tie breaks With the objective of determining qualifiers to play in the Candidates Tournament 2016, and in the case that two or more players had equal cumulative points at the top, the following criteria were utilized to decide the overall Series winner and other overall placings: Number of actual game result points scored in the three tournaments entered. Number of games played with black. Number of wins. Number of black wins. Drawing of lots.
Schedule The third stop was initially to be played in Tehran, Iran but a move was announced in October. The fourth stop moved from Moscow to Khanty-Mansiysk.
No. Host city Date 1 Baku, Azerbaijan 1–15 October 2014 2 Tashkent, Uzbekistan 20 October – 3 November 2014 3 Tbilisi, Georgia 14–28 February 2015 4 Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia 14–26 May 2015
Events crosstables
Baku 2014 {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+ 1st stage, Baku, Azerbaijan, 1–15 October 2014 ! !! Player !! Rating !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12 !! Total !! SB !! TPR !! GP |- |-style="background:#ccffcc;" | 1 || align=left | || 2748 | * || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 0 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 6½ || 35.25 || 2816 || 155 |- |-style="background:#ccffcc;" | 2 || align=left | || 2844 | ½ || * || ½ || ½ || 0 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 0 || 1 || 6½ || 34.50 || 2808 || 155 |- | 3 || align=left | || 2701 | ½ || ½ || * || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 6 || 32.25 || 2788 || 82 |- | 4 || align=left | || 2764 | ½ || ½ || ½ || * || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || 6 || 31.75 || 2782 || 82 |- | 5 || align=left | || 2797 | 0 || 1 || ½ || ½ || * || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || 6 || 31.25 || 2780 || 82 |- | 6 || align=left | || 2767 | ½ || 0 || ½ || 1 || ½ || * || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 6 || 31.25 || 2782 || 82 |- | 7 || align=left | || 2732 | ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || * || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 6 || 30.75 || 2785 || 82 |- | 8 || align=left | || 2726 | 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || * || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 5½ || || 2754 || 50 |- | 9 || align=left | || 2764 | 1 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || * || ½ || ½ || ½ || 5 || 27.50 || 2720 || 35 |- | 10 || align=left | || 2706 | ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || * || 1 || ½ || 5 || 26.75 || 2724 || 35 |- | 11 || align=left | || 2722 | 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || * || 1 || 4½ || || 2691 || 20 |- | 12 || align=left | || 2751 | ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || * || 3 || || 2582 || 10
Tashkent 2014 {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+ 2nd stage, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 20 October – 3 November 2014 ! !! Player !! Rating !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12 !! Total !! SB !! TPR !! GP |- |-style="background:#ccffcc;" | 1 || align=left | || 2722 | * || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 7 || || 2852 || 170 |- | 2 || align=left | || 2764 | ½ || * || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 6½ || 34.50 || 2815 || 125 |- | 3 || align=left | || 2764 | 0 || ½ || * || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 6½ || 32.00 || 2815 || 125 |- | 4 || align=left | || 2757 | ½ || ½ || ½ || * || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || 1 || ½ || 6 || 32.50 || 2783 || 75 |- | 5 || align=left | || 2844 | ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || * || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || 6 || 31.00 || 2776 || 75 |- | 6 || align=left | || 2767 | 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || * || 0 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 6 || 30.00 || 2782 || 75 |- | 7 || align=left | || 2717 | 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || * || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 6 || 29.75 || 2787 || 75 |- | 8 || align=left | || 2726 | ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || * || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 5½ || || 2754 || 50 |- | 9 || align=left | || 2768 | ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || * || ½ || ½ || ½ || 5 || || 2720 || 40 |- | 10 || align=left | || 2747 | ½ || ½ || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || * || ½ || ½ || 4½ || || 2690 || 30 |- | 11 || align=left | || 2706 | ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || * || ½ || 3½ || 19.00 || 2625 || 15 |- | 12 || align=left | || 2748 | ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || * || 3½ || 18.75 || 2621 || 15
Tbilisi 2015 {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+ 3rd stage, Tbilisi, Georgia, 14–28 February 2015 ! !! Player !! Rating !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12 !! Total !! SB !! TPR !! GP |- |-style="background:#ccffcc;" | 1 || align=left | || 2716 | * || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || ½ || ½ || 8 || || 2916 || 170 |- | 2 || align=left | || 2733 | ½ || * || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 6½ || || 2808 || 140 |- | 3 || align=left | || 2731 | ½ || ½ || * || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 6 || || 2776 || 110 |- | 4 || align=left | || 2726 | ½ || ½ || ½ || * || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 5½ || 29.75 || 2745 || 75 |- | 5 || align=left | || 2797 | ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || * || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 5½ || 29.25 || 2739 || 75 |- | 6 || align=left | || 2759 | 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || * || 0 || 1 || 0 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 5½ || 28.75 || 2747 || 75 |- | 7 || align=left | || 2705 | 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || * || 0 || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 5½ || 28.00 || 2743 || 75 |- | 8 || align=left | || 2810 | 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || 1 || * || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 5 || 26.25 || 2710 || 40 |- | 9 || align=left | || 2696 | 0 || 0 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 0 || * || 0 || 1 || ½ || 5 || 26.00 || 2706 || 40 |- | 10 || align=left | || 2775 | 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || 1 || * || ½ || ½ || 5 || 26.00 || 2716 || 40 |- | 11 || align=left | || 2739 | ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || * || 1 || 4½ || || 2681 || 20 |- | 12 || align=left | || 2737 | ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || * || 4 || || 2648 || 10
Khanty-Mansiysk 2015 {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+ 4th stage, Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, 14–26 May 2015Khanty-Mansiysk Grand Prix: Official site ! !! Player !! Rating !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12 !! Total !! SB !! TPR !! GP |- |-style="background:#ccffcc;" | 1 || align=left | || 2738 | * || ½ || 1 || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 6½ || || || 140 |- |-style="background:#ccffcc;" | 2 || align=left | || 2799 | ½ || * || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 6½ || || || 140 |- |-style="background:#ccffcc;" | 3 || align=left | || 2803 | 0 || ½ || * || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || 6½ || || || 140 |- | 4 || align=left | || 2734 | 1 || ½ || ½ || * || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || 6 || || || 85 |- | 5 || align=left | || 2744 | ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || * || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 6 || || || 85 |- | 6 || align=left | || 2734 | 1 || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || * || ½ || 1 || ½ || 0 || 1 || ½ || 5½ || || || 55 |- | 7 || align=left | || 2780 | ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || * || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 5½ || || || 55 |- | 8 || align=left | || 2776 | 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || * || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || 5½ || || || 55 |- | 9 || align=left | || 2753 | 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || * || 1 || ½ || 1 || 5½ || || || 55 |- | 10 || align=left | || 2749 | ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 0 || 0 || * || 1 || ½ || 5 || || || 30 |- | 11 || align=left | || 2699 | ½ || 0 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || * || ½ || 4 || || || 20 |- | 12 || align=left | || 2754 | 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || * || 3½ || || || 10
Grand Prix standings Grand Prix points in bold indicate a tournament win. Green indicates qualifiers of the 2016 Candidates Tournament
Player FIDE ratingMay 2015 Baku Tashkent Tbilisi Khanty-Mansiysk Total 1 2803 155 75 140 370 2 2799 82 125 140 347 3 2738 30 140 140 310 4 2749 82 170 30 282 5 2744 155 15 85 255 6 2735 35 125 75 235 7 2753 82 75 55 212 8 2738 50 50 110 210 9 2723 20 170 10 200 10 2780 82 40 55 177 11 2734 10 75 85 170 12 2776 40 75 55 170 13 2734 82 20 55 157 14 2699 75 40 20 135 15 2754 75 40 10 125 16 2715 35 15 75 125
References
External links FIDE Grand Prix: Official site Baku Grand Prix: Official site Tashkent Grand Prix: Official site Tbilisi Grand Prix: Official site Khanty-Mansiysk Grand Prix: Official site