Tuesday
Sep092014
Grand Prix Lineups
Tuesday, September 9, 2014 at 12:26PM
FIDE has announced the lineups for the 2014-2015 Grand Prix series. Assuming it works the same way as the last series, the top two finishers overall will automatically qualify for the next Candidates event, the winner of which will play for the world championship in 2016 against the winner of this November's title match between Magnus Carlsen and Viswanathan Anand.
Reader Comments (2)
I see that neither Topalov nor Kramnik are listed. I wonder why? Also, Aronian. Don't you think the lineup is rather lacking in the absence of these three players?
(I would have mentioned Anand as well, but I figured he is not listed along with Carlsen because they are playing in the WC match.)
[DM: The loser of the Carlsen-Anand match is automatically qualified. Also, assuming it works like last time, two players will automatically qualify by rating, and Aronian and maybe Kramnik (if he can recoup his strength and isn't retiring) will have good chances there. Neither player was involved in the last Grand Prix either. As for Topalov, I'm not sure. He did play in the last Grand Prix - that was how he qualified for the last Candidates' tournament.]
Players had to commit to the GP Series before the Sinquefield Cup - the time in between was probably spent first contacting reserve players, then choosing the wildcards (two might have gone to Mamedyarov and Svidler if they hadn't gotten reserve rating spots).
Aronian's rating spot seemed relatively safe at the time, this is no longer the case: with another mediocre/bad result in Bilbao and/or good results by Grischuk/Topalov in Bilbao (European Club Cup), he will use his #3 spot for the October 2014 rating list. Moreover, if FIDE has the same rule as last time - a rating spot has to be 'validated' by playing either GP Series or World Cup - he will now have to play the World Cup in, of all places, Baku.
Kramnik: He is either very optimistic about a 'comeback', or - loose from retirement plans - doesn't really care about the next WCh cycle?
Topalov: Mark Crowther mentioned on Twitter interviews along the lines of "if I cannot win the candidates event, there is no point in playing [or trying to qualify for] the candidates event". Moreover, he and his buddy Danailov are rather anti-FIDE!?