FIDE Grand Prix 2017

FIDE Grand Prix Series 2017

FIDE Grand Prix 2017 winner Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
Tournament information
Sport	Chess
Location	Sharjah Moscow Geneva Palma de Mallorca
Dates	18 February 2017– 25 November 2017
Administrator	FIDE
Tournament format(s)	Series of Swiss-system tournaments
Final positions
Champion	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
Runner-up	Alexander Grischuk

The FIDE Grand Prix 2017 was a series of four chess tournaments that formed part of the qualification cycle for the World Chess Championship 2018. The top two finishers, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Alexander Grischuk, qualified to the 2018 Candidates Tournament.

There were four tournaments in the cycle; each consisted of 18 players. 24 players were selected to compete in the tournaments, and each player competed in three of the four tournaments.^[1]

In contrast to the previous editions where players played a full round-robin, each tournament was an 18-player, nine-round Swiss system 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, as shown in the table below.

The Grand Prix consisted of 24 players. Two players qualified to be among the 24 by being finalists in the World Chess Championship 2016 match; four players qualified by reaching the semifinals of the Chess World Cup 2015, eight players qualified based on their ratings; one player qualified by participation in the Association of Chess Professionals, and finally nine players rated at least 2700 (or 2600 for former men and women national or world champions) were nominated by Agon and FIDE.^[2]

In an interview with Chessdom (Aug 2016), Zurab Azmaiparashvili (president of the European Chess Union) indicated various plusses and minuses with the new system, particularly that the nine "wild card" entries were less expensive than in previous versions.^[3] However, with few details available and many questions unanswered, he also was unsure of the professionality of Agon's approach.^[3]

At the FIDE General Assembly in September, Agon presented Vladimir Kramnik as having Russia as a national sponsor, which if true would have been the first time that he participated in the FIDE Grand Prix.^[4]

Any player who declined to participate in the Grand Prix was replaced by another player who was rated over 2700. Players who held an entry spot but did not enter the Grand Prix were: Magnus Carlsen and Sergey Karjakin from the World Chess Championship 2016, Fabiano Caruana, Viswanathan Anand, Veselin Topalov, Vladimir Kramnik, and Wesley So from the rating list.^[5]

Invitee	Country	Qualifying method
Peter Svidler	Russia	Chess World Cup 2015 runner-up
Pavel Eljanov	Ukraine	Chess World Cup 2015 semi-finalists
Anish Giri	Netherlands
Hikaru Nakamura	United States	FIDE rating list (from June 2015 to May 2016)[6]
Levon Aronian	Armenia
Ding Liren	China
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave	France
Alexander Grischuk	Russia
Li Chao	China
Pentala Harikrishna	India
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov	Azerbaijan
Dmitry Jakovenko	Russia
Boris Gelfand	Israel
Michael Adams	England
Evgeny Tomashevsky	Russia	ACP Tour ranking
Teimour Radjabov	Azerbaijan	organiser's nominees
Ernesto Inarkiev	Russia
Francisco Vallejo Pons	Spain
Salem Saleh	United Arab Emirates
Hou Yifan	China
Jon Ludvig Hammer	Norway
Ian Nepomniachtchi	Russia
Alexander Riazantsev	Russia
Richárd Rapport	Hungary

The total prize money was €130,000 per single Grand Prix, or €520,000 for the total Grand Prix series. This money was allocated based on ranking in each individual tournament.^[7]

Additionally, each player who could recruit a sponsor received €20,000.

With the objective of determining qualifiers to play in the Candidates 2018, 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:^[7]

1. Number of actual game result points scored in the three tournaments entered.
2. Number of games played with black.
3. Number of wins.
4. Number of black wins.
5. Drawing of lots.

Originally the first event was to take place in October 2016, but it was moved to November 2017, with the other dates mostly the same.^[1][8]

No.	Host city	Date	Winners	Points (win/draw/loss)
1	Sharjah	18 – 27 February 2017	Alexander Grischuk (RUS)  Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)  Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)	5½/9 (+2=7–0) 5½/9 (+2=7–0) 5½/9 (+3=5–1)
2	Moscow	12 – 21 May 2017	Ding Liren (CHN)	6/9 (+3=6–0)
3	Geneva	6 – 15 July 2017	Teimour Radjabov (AZE)	6/9 (+3=6-0)
4	Palma, Majorca	16 – 25 November 2017	Levon Aronian (ARM)  Dmitry Jakovenko (RUS)	5½/9 (+2=7–0) 5½/9 (+2=7–0)

Originally the 3rd Grand Prix (now the 2nd) was to conflict with the World Team Chess Championship, but that event was moved to July where it instead conflicted with the Grand Chess Tour events and Norway Chess.

FIDE Grand Prix broadcasting rights belonged to Agon, which attempted to limit broadcasting of moves to its own website. In protest, chess24 refused to relay or mention the Grand Prix starting from Moscow 2017.^[9]

The notation in the crosstable is the number of the opponent, color of pieces, and score. For example, in the top-left hand corner of the Sharjah 2017 crosstable, 16w½ indicates that in round 1, Grischuk played player 16 (Jon Ludvig Hammer) with the white pieces, and the game ended in a draw. The player numbers do not exactly correspond to finishing position; for instance Grischuk, Vachier-Lagrave and Mamedyarov all finished equal first, but are allocated numbers 1, 2 and 3 for convenience of notation.

1st stage, Sharjah, UAE, 18–27 February 2017^[10]

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Total	RC	Blacks	Wins	BW	TPR	GP
1	Alexander Grischuk (RUS)	2742	16w½	6b½	13w½	8b½	10w1	7b½	5w½	3w1	2b½	5½	+11	4	2	0	2828	140
2	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)	2796	11w1	9b1	3w½	7b½	13w½	5b½	6w½	8b½	1w½	5½	+4	4	2	1	2824	140
3	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)	2766	12b½	17w1	2b½	5w1	7w½	6b½	8w½	1b0	14w1	5½	+6	4	3	0	2814	140
4	Ding Liren (CHN)	2760	9w0	15b1	16w½	6b½	8w½	14b½	7w½	11b½	13w1	5	-2	4	2	1	2751	70
5	Michael Adams (ENG)	2751	15w1	13b½	10w½	3b0	16w1	2w½	1b½	6b½	7b½	5	+3	5	2	0	2779	70
6	Dmitry Jakovenko (RUS)	2709	7b½	1w½	14b½	4w½	18b1	3w½	2b½	5w½	8w½	5	+9	4	1	1	2784	70
7	Hikaru Nakamura (USA)	2785	6w½	16b½	9w1	2w½	3b½	1w½	4b½	13b½	5w½	5	-1	4	1	0	2780	70
8	Ian Nepomniachtchi (RUS)	2749	14b½	18w½	12b½	1w½	4b½	11w1	3b½	2w½	6b½	5	+2	5	1	0	2768	70
9	Richárd Rapport (HUN)	2692	4b1	2w0	7b0	15w½	17b½	18w1	13w½	14b½	11w½	4½	+4	4	2	1	2726	25
10	Pavel Eljanov (UKR)	2759	18b½	12w½	5b½	14w½	1b0	17w½	11b0	16b1	15w1	4½	-8	5	2	1	2693	25
11	Li Chao (CHN)	2720	2b0	14w½	18b½	17w1	12b½	8b0	10w1	4w½	9b½	4½	+0	5	2	0	2722	25
12	Francisco Vallejo Pons (ESP)	2709	3w½	10b½	8w½	16b½	11w½	13b½	14w½	15b½	17w½	4½	+1	4	0	0	2714	25
13	Levon Aronian (ARM)	2785	17b½	5w½	1b½	18w½	2b½	12w½	9b½	7w½	4b0	4	-11	5	0	0	2692	7
14	Hou Yifan (CHN)	2651	8w½	11b½	6w½	10b½	15b½	4w½	12b½	9w½	3b0	4	+4	5	0	0	2681	7
15	Salem Saleh (UAE)	2656	5b0	4w0	17b½	9b½	14w½	16b½	18w1	12w½	10b0	3½	-4	5	1	0	2624	3
16	Jon Ludvig Hammer (NOR)	2628	1b½	7w½	4b½	12w½	5b0	15w½	17b½	10w0	18b½	3½	+2	5	0	0	2647	3
17	Evgeny Tomashevsky (RUS)	2711	13w½	3b0	15w½	11b0	9w½	10b½	16w½	18b½	12b½	3½	-10	5	0	0	2630	3
18	Alexander Riazantsev (RUS)	2671	10w½	8b½	11w½	13b½	6w0	9b0	15b0	17w½	16w½	3	-10	4	0	0	2587	1

2nd stage, Moscow, Russia, 12–21 May 2017^[11]

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Total	RC	Blacks	Wins	BW	TPR	GP
1	Ding Liren (CHN)	2773	4b½	18w1	3b1	5w½	2b½	8w½	7b½	9w½	10b1	6	+12	5	3	2	2870	170
2	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)	2772	14w½	10b½	17w1	16b1	1w½	4b½	6w½	5b½	8w½	5½	+5	4	2	1	2813	140
3	Hou Yifan (CHN)	2652	15b1	8w½	1w0	7b½	6w0	16b½	13w1	14w½	18b1	5	+14	4	3	2	2770	71${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$
4	Teimour Radjabov (AZE)	2710	1w½	7b½	6w½	14b1	5b½	2w½	8b½	10w½	12b½	5	+11	5	1	1	2800	71${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$
5	Peter Svidler (RUS)	2755	11b½	16w½	12b1	1b½	4w½	6b½	10w½	2w½	7b½	5	+2	5	1	1	2776	71${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$
6	Alexander Grischuk (RUS)	2750	16b½	11w½	4b½	8w½	3b1	5w½	2b½	7w½	9b½	5	+3	5	1	1	2775	71${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$
7	Hikaru Nakamura (USA)	2786	18b½	4w½	11b½	3w½	9b½	15w1	1w½	6b½	5w½	5	-1	4	1	0	2776	71${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$
8	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)	2795	17w½	3b½	10w½	6b½	16w1	1b½	4w½	11b½	2b½	5	-5	5	1	0	2760	71${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$
9	Anish Giri (NED)	2785	10w½	17b½	14w½	13b½	7w½	11b½	16w1	1b½	6w½	5	-3	4	1	0	2759	71${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$
10	Boris Gelfand (ISR)	2724	9b½	2w½	8b½	11w½	15b½	12w1	5b½	4b½	1w0	4½	+4	5	1	0	2754	20
11	Evgeny Tomashevsky (RUS)	2696	5w½	6b½	7w½	10b½	13w½	9w½	12b½	8w½	17b½	4½	+6	4	0	0	2746	20
12	Pentala Harikrishna (IND)	2750	13w½	14b½	5w0	18b½	17w1	10b0	11w½	15b1	4w½	4½	-4	4	2	1	2716	20
13	Jon Ludvig Hammer (NOR)	2621	12b½	15w0	18b1	9w½	11b½	14w½	3b0	17w½	16b½	4	+7	5	1	1	2674	7
14	Francisco Vallejo Pons (ESP)	2710	2b½	12w½	9b½	4w0	18w½	13b½	17w½	3b½	15w½	4	-3	4	0	0	2681	7
15	Ian Nepomniachtchi (RUS)	2751	3w0	13b1	16w0	17b1	10w½	7b0	18b½	12w0	14b½	3½	-16	5	2	2	2626	3
16	Salem Saleh (UAE)	2633	6w½	5b½	15b1	2w0	8b0	3w½	9b0	18w½	13w½	3½	+2	4	1	1	2654	3
17	Michael Adams (ENG)	2747	8b½	9w½	2b0	15w0	12b0	18w1	14b½	13b½	11w½	3½	-12	5	1	0	2654	3
18	Ernesto Inarkiev (RUS)	2727	7w½	1b0	13w0	12w½	14b½	17b0	15w½	16b½	3w0	2½	-22	4	0	0	2548	1

3rd stage, Geneva, Switzerland, 6–15 July 2017^[12]

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Total	RC	Blacks	Wins	BW	TPR	GP
1	Teimour Radjabov (AZE)	2724	5b1	11w1	12b½	4w½	10b½	3b½	9w1	6w½	2b½	6	+18	5	3	1	2877	170
2	Ian Nepomniachtchi (RUS)	2742	16b½	14w½	11b0	17w1	4b½	15w1	10b½	12w1	1w½	5½	+9	4	3	0	2814	125
3	Alexander Grischuk (RUS)	2761	15b½	16w1	7b½	12w½	11b1	1w½	4b½	10w½	5b½	5½	+8	5	2	1	2827	125
4	Pentala Harikrishna (IND)	2737	6b1	7w½	10w½	1b½	2w½	12b1	3w½	8b0	13w½	5	+6	4	2	2	2783	60
5	Anish Giri (NED)	2775	1w0	18b1	8w½	14b½	6w½	13b½	12w½	17b1	3w½	5	-3	4	2	2	2756	60
6	Alexander Riazantsev (RUS)	2654	4w0	17b½	18w½	15w½	5b½	16b1	8w1	1b½	7w½	5	+12	4	2	1	2755	60
7	Michael Adams (ENG)	2736	18w1	4b½	3w½	9b0	8w½	14b½	13w½	16b1	6b½	5	+2	5	2	1	2754	60
8	Li Chao (CHN)	2735	12b½	9w½	5b½	13w½	7b½	11w1	6b0	4w1	10b½	5	+6	5	2	0	2788	60
9	Peter Svidler (RUS)	2749	13w½	8b½	14w½	7w1	12b½	10w½	1b0	18b½	17w1	5	+2	5	2	0	2770	60
10	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)	2800	14b½	15w1	4b½	11w½	1w½	9b½	2w½	3b½	8w½	5	-3	4	1	0	2779	60
11	Pavel Eljanov (UKR)	2739	17w1	1b0	2w1	10b½	3w0	8b0	18w1	14b½	16w½	4½	-2	4	3	0	2721	11
12	Levon Aronian (ARM)	2809	8w½	13b1	1w½	3b½	9w½	4w0	5b½	2b0	18w1	4½	-10	4	2	1	2729	11
13	Dmitry Jakovenko (RUS)	2703	9b½	12w0	16b1	8b½	14w½	5w½	7b½	15w½	4b½	4½	+5	5	1	1	2741	11
14	Boris Gelfand (ISR)	2728	10w½	2b½	9b½	5w½	13b½	7w½	17b½	11w½	15b½	4½	+1	5	0	0	2735	11
15	Ernesto Inarkiev (RUS)	2707	3w½	10b0	17w½	6b½	18w1	2b0	16w½	13b½	14w½	4	-5	4	1	0	2667	4
16	Richárd Rapport (HUN)	2694	2w½	3b0	13w0	18b0	17b1	6w0	15b½	7w0	11b½	2½	-19	5	1	1	2539	2
17	Hou Yifan (CHN)	2666	11b0	6w½	15b½	2b0	16w0	18b1	14w½	5w0	9b0	2½	-14	4	1	1	2548	2
18	Salem Saleh (UAE)	2638	7b0	5w0	6b½	16w1	15b0	17w0	11b0	9w½	12b0	2	-14	5	1	0	2505	1

Going into the final tournament, only Radjabov and Vachier-Lagrave could overtake Mamedyarov or Grischuk to qualify for the Candidates. (Ding Liren could also finish first or second in the Grand Prix, but had already qualified via the World Cup). Going into the final round of that tournament, both Radjabov and Vachier-Lagrave were equal 2nd-10th, and both would have qualified for the Candidates with a final round win, though neither was able to.

4th stage, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, 16–27 November 2017^[13]

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Total	RC	Blacks	Wins	BW	TPR	GP
1	Levon Aronian (ARM)	2801	2b½	12w1	10b½	13w1	4b½	5w½	9b½	8w½	3b½	5½	+3	5	2	0	2821	155
2	Dmitry Jakovenko (RUS)	2721	1w½	3b½	16w½	11b1	5w½	13b½	7w½	9b½	10b1	5½	+13	5	2	2	2823	155
3	Hikaru Nakamura (USA)	2780	11b½	2w½	8b½	6w1	10b½	4w½	5b½	7w½	1w½	5	+1	4	1	0	2792	71${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$
4	Ding Liren (CHN)	2774	15w½	16b½	11w½	12b1	1w½	3b½	13w½	5b½	8b½	5	-1	5	1	1	2771	71${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$
5	Peter Svidler (RUS)	2763	8b½	11w½	18b1	10w½	2b½	1b½	3w½	4w½	7b½	5	+2	5	1	1	2782	71${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$
6	Teimour Radjabov (AZE)	2741	16w½	15b1	13w½	3b0	7w½	8b0	14w1	17b1	9w½	5	+3	4	3	2	2764	71${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$
7	Pentala Harikrishna (IND)	2738	18b½	8w½	12b½	15w1	6b½	10w½	2b½	3b½	5w½	5	+3	5	1	0	2767	71${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$
8	Evgeny Tomashevsky (RUS)	2702	5w½	7b½	3w½	16b½	9w½	6w1	10b½	1b½	4w½	5	+11	4	1	0	2791	71${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$
9	Richárd Rapport (HUN)	2692	13b0	17b½	14w½	18w1	8b½	16b1	1w½	2w½	6b½	5	+8	5	2	1	2762	71${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$
10	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)	2796	17w1	13b½	1w½	5b½	3w½	7b½	8w½	12b½	2w0	4½	-7	4	1	0	2741	20
11	Pavel Eljanov (UKR)	2707	3w½	5b½	4b½	2w0	12w½	14b½	18w1	15b½	17w½	4½	+2	4	1	0	2724	20
12	Ernesto Inarkiev (RUS)	2683	14w1	1b0	7w½	4w0	11b½	17b1	15w½	10w½	18b½	4½	+6	4	2	1	2734	20
13	Anish Giri (NED)	2762	9w1	10w½	6b½	1b0	16w½	2w½	4b½	14b0	15w½	4	-8	4	1	0	2693	6
14	Li Chao (CHN)	2741	12b0	18w½	9b½	17w½	15b½	11w½	6b0	13w1	16b½	4	-10	5	1	0	2656	6
15	Francisco Vallejo Pons (ESP)	2705	4b½	6w0	17w1	7b0	14w½	18b½	12b½	11w½	13b½	4	-3	5	1	0	2679	6
16	Alexander Riazantsev (RUS)	2651	6b½	4w½	2b½	8w½	13b½	9w0	17w0	18b½	14w½	3½	-2	4	0	0	2640	3
17	Boris Gelfand (ISR)	2719	10b0	9w½	15b0	14b½	18w½	12w0	16b1	6w0	11b½	3	-17	5	1	1	2580	1${\displaystyle {\tfrac {1}{2}}}$
18	Jon Ludvig Hammer (NOR)	2629	7w½	14b½	5w0	9b0	17b½	15w½	11b0	16w½	12w½	3	-5	4	0	0	2586	1${\displaystyle {\tfrac {1}{2}}}$

Grand Prix points in bold indicate a tournament win. Green indicates qualifiers for the 2018 Candidates Tournament. Mamedyarov and Grischuk qualified via the Grand Prix. Ding Liren and Aronian qualified via the Chess World Cup 2017.

	Player	FIDE rating February 2017	Sharjah	Moscow	Geneva	Palma	Total
1	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)	2766	140	140	60		340
2	Alexander Grischuk (RUS)	2742	140	71${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$	125		336${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$
3	Teimour Radjabov (AZE)	2710		71${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$	170	71${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$	312${\displaystyle {\tfrac {6}{7}}}$
4	Ding Liren (CHN)	2760	70	170		71${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$	311${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$
5	Dmitry Jakovenko (RUS)	2709	70		11	155	236
6	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)	2796	140	71${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$		20	231${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$
7	Hikaru Nakamura (USA)	2785	70	71${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$		71${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$	212${\displaystyle {\tfrac {6}{7}}}$
8	Peter Svidler (RUS)	2748		71${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$	60	71${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$	202${\displaystyle {\tfrac {6}{7}}}$
9	Ian Nepomniachtchi (RUS)	2749	70	3	125		198
10	Levon Aronian (ARM)	2785	7		11	155	173
11	Pentala Harikrishna (IND)	2758		20	60	71${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$	151${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$
12	Anish Giri (NED)	2769		71${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$	60	6	137${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$
13	Michael Adams (ENG)	2751	70	3	60		133
14	Richárd Rapport (HUN)	2692	25		2${\displaystyle {\tfrac {1}{2}}}$	71${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$	98${\displaystyle {\tfrac {13}{14}}}$
15	Evgeny Tomashevsky (RUS)	2711	3	20		71${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$	94${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$
16	Li Chao (CHN)	2720	25		60	6	91
17	Hou Yifan (CHN)	2651	7	71${\displaystyle {\tfrac {3}{7}}}$	2${\displaystyle {\tfrac {1}{2}}}$		80${\displaystyle {\tfrac {13}{14}}}$
18	Alexander Riazantsev (RUS)	2671	1		60	3	64
19	Pavel Eljanov (UKR)	2759	25		11	20	56
20	Francisco Vallejo Pons (ESP)	2709	25	7		6	38
21	Boris Gelfand (ISR)	2720		20	11	1${\displaystyle {\tfrac {1}{2}}}$	32${\displaystyle {\tfrac {1}{2}}}$
22	Ernesto Inarkiev (RUS)	2723		1	4	20	25
23	Jon Ludvig Hammer (NOR)	2628	3	7		1${\displaystyle {\tfrac {1}{2}}}$	11${\displaystyle {\tfrac {1}{2}}}$
24	Salem Saleh (UAE)	2656	3	3	1		7

• Wei Yi was replaced by Hou Yifan.^[14]

• FIDE World Chess Grand Prix 2017 Archived 2017-09-27 at the Wayback Machine, (official site), FIDE