The Candidates Tournament is a chess tournament organized by FIDE, chess's international governing body, since 1950, as the final contest to determine the challenger for the World Chess Championship. The winner of the Candidates earns the right to a match for the World Championship against the incumbent World Champion. The most recent FIDE World Chess Candidates tournament took place in Berlin from 10–28 March 2018. In the early history, it was contested as a triennial tournament, but after the split of the World Championship in the early 1990s, followed with the changes in the determination of the World Champion Challenger, the tournament is held on a variable time basis.
present-2007
After the reunification of the FIDE and "classical" titles, the Chess World Cup and FIDE Grand Prix series were introduced as qualification for the Candidates Tournament. The Swiss-system FIDE Grand Swiss is slated to be introduced in the latter half of 2019, acting as another qualification path for the Candidates Tournament.
| Years | Qualification format | Qualifiers | Seeded into Candidates | Candidates Format | Candidates Winner(s) | Seeded in Final | Championship Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–2020 | FIDE Grand Prix 2019Two qualify | TBD | Caruana One player (ratings) One player (wildcard) | Candidates Tournament 2020 TBA8 player double round-robin tournament | TBD | Carlsen (2018 champion) | TBA 12-game match |
| Chess World Cup 2019 Khanty-Mansiysk September-October 2019 128 players, 7 round, mini-match, knockout tournament (top two qualify) | TBD | ||||||
| FIDE Grand Swiss TBD Latter half of 2019 105-player Swiss tournament (top player qualifies) | TBD | ||||||
| 2017–2018 | FIDE Grand Prix 2017 Two qualify | Mamedyarov, Grischuk | Karjakin Caruana, So (ratings) Kramnik (wildcard) | Candidates Tournament 2018 Berlin, March 2018 8 players double round-robin tournament | Caruana | Carlsen (2016 champion) | London, November 2018 12-game match drawn 6–6 Carlsen won rapid playoff 3–0 to retain the title |
| Chess World Cup 2017 Tbilisi September 2017 128 players, 7 round, mini-match, knockout tournament (top two qualify) | Aronian, Ding | ||||||
| 2012–2014 | FIDE Grand Prix 2012–20132 qualified | Topalov, Mamedyarov | Anand Aronian, Karjakin Svidler | Khanty-Mansiysk, March 2014 8 player double round-robin tournament | Anand | Carlsen(2013 champion) | Sochi, November 2014 12-game match Carlsen won 6½-4½ to retain the title |
| Chess World Cup 2013 Tromsø August–September 2013 128 players, 7 round, mini-match, knockout tournament (top two qualify) | Kramnik, Andreikin | ||||||
| 2014–2016 | FIDE Grand Prix 2014 152 qualified | Caruana, Nakamura | Anand Topalov, Giri (ratings) Aronian (wildcard) | Candidates Tournament 2016 Moscow, March 20168 player double round-robin tournament | Karjakin | Carlsen(2014 champion) | New York, November 2016 12-game match drawn 6–6 Carlsen won rapid playoff 3–1 to retain the title |
| Chess World Cup 2015 Baku October 2015 128 players, 7 round, mini-match, knockout tournament (top two qualify) | Svidler, Karjakin | ||||||
| 2011–2013 | Chess World Cup 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk August–September 2011 128 players, 7 round, mini-match, knockout tournament (top three qualify) | Svidler, Grischuk, Ivanchuk | Gelfand Carlsen, Aronian, Kramnik Radjabov | London March 20138 player double round-robin tournament | Carlsen (won Candidates Tournament on tie breaks) | Anand (2012 champion) | Chennai, November 2013 12-game match Carlsen won 6½–3½ |
| 2008–2012 | FIDE Grand Prix 2008–20102 qualified | Aronian, Radjabov(Grischuk) | (Carlsen) Grischuk,Kramnik (on rating),Kamsky, Topalov, Mamedyarov | Kazan May 2011, 8 players, matches Semifinals:Gelfand defeated Kamsky;Grischuk defeated Kramnik | Gelfand defeated Grischuk in the final 3½–2½ | Anand (2010 champion) |
Moscow May 2012 12-game match drawn 6–6,
Anand won rapid playoff 2½–1½to retain the title |
| Chess World Cup 2009 Khanty-Mansiysk November–December 2009 128 players, 7 round, mini-match, knockout tournament (1st qualifies) | Gelfand (beat Ponomariov in the final) | ||||||
| 2007–2010 | Chess World Cup 2007 Khanty-Mansiysk November–December 2007 128 players, 7 round, mini-match, knockout tournament | Kamsky beat A. Shirov 2½-1½ in the final. | Topalov(2005 FIDE champion) | Sofia February 2009, 8-game match | Topalov won 4½-2½ | Anand (2008 champion) | Sofia April–May 2010 12-game match Anand won 6½–5½ to retain the title. |
| 2008 | Rematch | Kramnik, Anand | Bonn October 2008 12-game match Anand won 6½–4½ to retain the title. | ||||
| 2005–2007 | Chess World Cup 2005 Khanty-Mansiysk November–December 2005 128 players, 7 round, mini-match, knockout tournament; + mini-matches to establish places 1 through 16. top 10 qualify | 1.Ponomariov, 2.Aronian, (3.Bacrot,[35]) 4.Grischuk, 5.Bareev, 6.Gelfand, 7.Rublevsky, 8.Gurevich, 9.Kamsky, 10.Carlsen, 11.Malakhov | Kasimdzhanov, Leko, Adams, J. Polgár (5th-8th of 2005 championship), Shirov, Bacrot (on rating) | Elista: May–June 2007 16 players, two rounds of matches, 4 players qualify for championship tournament | Aronian, Gelfand, Grischuk, Leko | Anand, Svidler, Morozevich (2nd–4th in 2005);Kramnik[37] (2006 Champion) | Mexico City: September 20078 players, double round robin 1. Anand 9/142.-3. Kramnik and Gelfand: 8/14 |
1997–2006: Split titles[edit]
After 1996, interzonals ceased to exist, but FIDE continued to organize qualifying zonal tournaments.
| Classical championships (1998–2004) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Years | Candidates format | Seeded into Candidates | Candidates Winner(s) | Seeded in Final | Championship Final | ||
| 1998 (Classical) | Cazorla, May–June 1998 10-game match | Kramnik, Shirov (on rating) | Shirov won 5½–3½ | Kasparov (1995 champion) | Match never took place | ||
| 2000 (Classical) | None | Two players seeded in final:Kasparov (1995 champion); Kramnik (on rating) | London: October-November 2000 16-game match Kramnik won 8½–6½ | ||||
| 2002–2004 (Classical) | Dortmund July 2002 preliminaries: two four players double round robins;Semi-finals: the first from each group met the second from the other group in mini-matches | Preliminaries: group 1: 1. Shirov, 2.Topalov, 3.Gelfand, 4.Lutzgroup 2: 1.Bareev, 2.Leko, 3.Adams, 4.Morozevich Semi-finals : Leko beat Shirov and Topalov beat Bareev. | Leko(beat Topalov in the final) | Kramnik (2000 classical champion) | Brissago: September–October 200414-game matchdrawn 7–7, Kramnik retained title | ||
| FIDE championships (1997–2005) | |||||||
| Years | Candidates format | Seeded into Candidates | Finalists | Championship Final | |||
| 1997–1998 (FIDE) | Groningen December 1997, 7 round, mini-match, knockout tournament | 100 players, Quarter-finalists: Adams, Van Wely, Short, Krasenkov, Gelfand, Dreev, Anand and Shirov. | Anand (beat Adams in candidates final) Karpov (1996 FIDE champion) | Lausanne: January 19986-game matchDrawn 3–3; Karpov won rapid playoff 2–0 | |||
| 1999 (FIDE) | Las Vegas July–August 1999, 7 round, mini-match, knockout tournament | 100 players, Quarter-finalists: Kramnik, Adams, Movsesian, Akopian, Shirov, Nisipeanu, Khalifman, J. Polgar | Semi-finals: Khalifman beat Nisipeanu, Akopian beat Adams | Las Vegas 19996-game matchKhalifman won 3½–2½ | |||
| 2000 (FIDE) | New Delhi (6 rounds)/final in Tehran November–December 2000 7 round, mini-match, knockout tournament with final match played in Tehran | 100 players,Quarter-finalists:Anand, Khalifman, Adams, Topalov, Tkachiev, Grischuk, Shirov and Bareev | Semi-finals:Anand beat Adams, Shirov beat Grischuk | Tehran December 20006-game matchAnand won 3½–½ | |||
| 2001–2002 (FIDE) | Moscow November–December 20017 round, mini-match, knockout tournament with relatively quick time controls | 128 players,Quarter-finalists:Anand, Shirov, Ivanchuk, Lautier, Svidler, Gelfand, Ponomariov and Bareev | Semi-finals: Ponomariov beat Svidler, Ivanchuk beat Anand | Moscow January 20028-game match Ponomariov won 4½–2½ | |||
| 2004 (FIDE) | Tripoli June–July 2004 7 round, mini-match, knockout tournament with relatively quick time controls | 128 players,Quarter-finalists:Topalov, Kharlov, Kasimdzhanov, Grischuk, Radjabov, Dominguez, Adams, Akopian | Semi-finals: Adams beat Radjabov, Kasimdzhanov beat Topalov | Tripoli July 200 46-game matchdrawn 3–3; Kasimdzhanov won rapid playoff 1½–½ | |||
| 2005 (FIDE) | None | 8 players seeded in final: Kasimdzhanov (FIDE champion); Adams (as FIDE 2004 finalist); Anand, Morozevich, Topalov (on rating), Leko (as classical 2004 finalist), J. Polgár and Svidler (on rating) | San Luis: 8 players,double round robin,September–October 2005 1. Topalov : 10/142.-3. Anand and Svidler : 8½/144. Morozevich: 7/14 | ||||
| Reunification | |||||||
| 2006 | Reunification match | Topalov (FIDE champion), Kramnik (classical champion) | Elista October 2006 12-game matchdrawn 6–6, Kramnik won rapid playoff 2½–1½ | ||||
1948–96: Interzonal and Candidates tournaments
| Years | Interzonal Format | Interzonal Qualifiers | Seeded into Candidates | Candidates Format | Candidates Winner(s) | Seeded in Final | Championship Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | None | In 1946–1947, FIDE decided that six players would participate to a tournament. FIDE selected Keres and Fine as the winners of the AVRO 1938 chess tournament which had been recognized as a Candidates tournament for the championship. Reshevsky was selected as multiple champion of the USA, Botvinnik as Soviet champion, Euwe as former world champion and Smyslov was selected because he was one of the few Soviet grandmasters. Fine withdrew from the 1948 tournament. | 5 players, Botvinnik, Smyslov, Keres, Reshevsky, Euwe | The Hague/ Moscow 1948 quintuple round robin, 1. Botvinnik 14 / 20 2. Smyslov 113.-4. Keres, Reshevsky 10½5. Euwe 4 | |||
| 1948–51 | Saltsjöbaden (Stockholm) 194820 players, single round robin, 8 qualified | 1. Bronstein, 2. Szabo, 3. Boleslavsky, 4. Kotov, 5. Lilienthal, 6.-9. Najdorf, Ståhlberg, (Bondarevsky, Flohr | Smyslov, Keres (Euwe, Fine, Reshevsky) | Budapest 1950 10 players, double round robin 1.-2. Boleslavsky, Bronstein3. Smyslov; 4. Keres | Bronstein (won playoff match against Boleslavsky) | Botvinnik (1948 champion) | Moscow 1951 24 games match Drawn 12–12, Botvinnik retained title |
| 1952–54 | Saltsjöbaden (Stockholm) 1952 21 players, single round robin, 8 qualified | 1. Kotov, 2.-3. Taimanov, Petrosian, 4. Geller, 5.-8. Averbakh, Ståhlberg, Szabo, Gligorić | Bronstein, Boleslavsky, Smyslov, Keres, Reshevsky, Najdorf, Euwe | Zürich 1953 15 players, double round robin 1. Smyslov2.-4. Bronstein, Keres, Reshevsky | Smyslov | Botvinnik (1951 champion) | Moscow 1954 24 games match Drawn 12–12, Botvinnik retained title |
| 1955–57 | Gothenburg 1955 21 players, single round robin, 9 qualified | 1. Bronstein, 2. Keres, 3. Panno, 4. Petrosian, 5.-6. Geller, Szabo, 7-9. Filip, Pilnik, Spassky | Smyslov | Amsterdam 1956 10 players, double round robin 1. Smyslov2. Keres | Smyslov | Botvinnik (1954 champion) | Moscow 1957 Smyslov won 12½–9½ |
| 1958 | Rematch | Botvinnik, Smyslov | Moscow 1958Botvinnik won 12½–10½ | ||||
| 1958–60 | Portorož 1958 21 players, single round robin, 6 qualified | 1. Tal, 2. Gligorić,3.-4. Petrosian, Benko,5.-6. Olafsson, Fischer | Smyslov, Keres | Yugoslavia 1959 8 players, quadruple round robin1. Tal; 2. Keres; 3. Petrosian; 4. Smyslov | Tal | Botvinnik (1958 champion) | Moscow 1960Tal won 12½–8½ |
| 1961 | Rematch | Botvinnik, Tal | Moscow 1961 Botvinnik won 13–8 | ||||
| 1962–63 | Stockholm 1962 23 players, single round robin, 6 qualified | 1. Fischer,2.- 3. Geller, Petrosian, 4.- 5. Korchnoi, Filip, 6.- 8. Stein, Benko | Tal, Keres | Curaçao 196 28 players, quadruple round robin 1. Petrosian; 2. Keres; 3. Geller; 4. Fischer | Petrosian | Botvinnik (1961 champion) | Moscow 1963Petrosian won 12½–9½ |
| 1964–66 | Amsterdam 1964 24 players, single round robin, 6 qualified | 1.-4. Smyslov, Larsen, Spassky, Tal, 5. Stein, 6. Bronstein, 7. Ivkov, 8.- 9. Portisch | Keres, (Botvinnik), Geller | 1965: 8 players, matches Semi-finals: Spassky beat Geller ,Tal beat Larsen | Spassky beat Tal in the final | Petrosian (1963 champion) | Moscow 1966 Petrosian won 12½–11½ |
| 1967–1969 | Sousse 1967 23 players, single round robin, 6 qualified | 1. Larsen, 2.- 4. Korchnoi, Geller, Gligorić,5. Portisch, 6.-8. Reshevsky | Spassky, Tal | 1968: 8 players, matches Semi-finals:Korchnoi beat Tal , Spassky beat Larsen | Spassky beat Korchnoi in the final | Petrosian (1966 champion) | Moscow 1969Spassky won 12½–10½ |
| 1970–72 | Palma de Mallorca 197024 players, single round robin, 6 qualified | 1. Fischer,2.- 4. Larsen, Geller, Hübner, 5.- 6. Taimanov, Uhlmann | Petrosian, Korchnoi | 1971: 8 players, matches Semi-finals: Petrosian beat Korchnoi , Fischer beat Larsen | Fischer beat Petrosian in the final | Spassky (1969 champion) | Reykjavík 1972 Fischer won 12½–8½ |
| 1973–75 | 1973:Two 18 players, single round robin Interzonals; 3 qualified from each | Leningrad 1973:1.-2. Korchnoi, Karpov,3. Byrne; | Spassky, Petrosian | 1974: 8 players, matches Semi-finals : Korchnoi beat Petrosian, Karpov beat Spassky | Karpov beat Korchnoi in the final | Fischer (1972 champion) | 1975:Karpov won on forfeit |
| Petropolis 1973: 1.Mecking, 2.- 4.: Portisch, Polugaevsky | |||||||
| 1976–78 | 1976:Two 20 players, single round robin Interzonals; 3 qualified from each | Biel 1976: 1. Larsen,2.-4. Petrosian, Portisch | Korchnoi, (Fischer), Spassky | 1977-78: 8 players, matches Semi-finals : Korchnoi beat Polugaevsky, Spassky beat Portisch | Korchnoi beat Spassky in the final (1977–78) | Karpov (1975 champion) | Baguio City 1978 Karpov won 6–5 after 32 games (draws not counting) |
| Manila 1976: 1. Mecking, 2.- 3. Polugaevsky, Hort | |||||||
| 1979–81 | 1979:Two 18 players, single round robin Interzonals; 3 qualified from each | Riga 1979:1.- 2. Tal, Polugaevsky, 3.- 4. Adorján; | Korchnoi, Spassky | 1980: 8 players, matches Semi-finals: Korchnoi beat Polugaevsky, Hübner beat Portisch | Korchnoi beat Hübner in the final | Karpov (1978 champion) | Meran 1981 Karpov won 6–2 after 18 games (draws not counting) |
| Rio de Janeiro 1979: 1.- 3. Portisch, Petrosian, Hübner | |||||||
| 1982–1985 | 1982:Three 14 players, single round robin Interzonals; 2 qualified from each | Las Palmas 1982: 1. Ribli, 2. Smyslov; | Korchnoi, Hübner | 1983-1984: 8 players, matches Semi-finals: Kasparov beat Korchnoi, Smyslov beat Ribli | Kasparov beat Smyslov in the final (1984) | Karpov (1981 champion) | Moscow 1984-1985 Unlimited match abandoned after 48 games with Karpov leading 5–3 (draws not counting) |
| Toluca 1982: 1.- 2. Portisch, Torre | |||||||
| Moscow 1982: 1. Kasparov, 2. Beliavsky; | |||||||
| 1985 | Replay | Karpov, Kasparov | Moscow 198524 games match Kasparov won 13–11 | ||||
| 1986 | Rematch |
Karpov,
Kasparov |
London/Leningrad 1986 Kasparov won 12½–11½ | ||||
| 1985–87 | 1985:Three 16–18 players, single round robin Interzonals; 4 qualified from each | Biel 1985: 1. Vaganian, 2. Seirawan, 3. Sokolov,4.-6. Short; | Korchnoi, Ribli, Smyslov, Spassky[13] (seeded in tournament) Karpov (seeded in 1987 final) | Montpellier 1985: 16 players, single round robin tournament, 1.- 3. Yusupov, Sokolov, Vaganian, 4.-5. Timman | Linares 1987: Karpov beat matches winner (Sokolov) in the final. | Kasparov (1985 champion) | Seville 198724 games match Drawn 12–12, Kasparov retained title |
| Taxco 1985:1. Timman, 2. Nogueiras, 3. Tal, 4. Spraggett; | |||||||
| Tunis 1985:1. Yusupov, 2. Beliavsky, 3. Portisch, 4.-5. Chernin | 1986: 4 players played two rounds of matches: Yusupov beat Timman; Sokolov beat Vaganian and Yusupov. | ||||||
| 1987–90 | 1987:Three 17–18 players, single round robin Interzonals; 3 qualified from each | Subotica 1987: 1.- 3. Sax, Short, Speelman; | Sokolov, Timman, Vaganian, Yusupov, Spraggett, Karpov (seeded in second round) | 1988: 14 players played one round of matches, 1989: Karpov joined winners in quarter finals Semi-finals (1989):Karpov beat Yusupov, Timman beat Speelman | Karpov beat Timman in the final (1990) | Kasparov (1987 champion) | New York/Lyon 1990Kasparov won 12½–11½ |
| Szirák 1987: 1.- 2. Salov, Hjartarson,3.-4. Portisch; | |||||||
| Zagreb 1987: 1. Korchnoi, 2.- 3. Seirawan, Ehlvest | |||||||
| 1990–93 | Manila 1990 64 players Swiss, 11 qualified | 1.-2. Gelfand, Ivanchuk,3.-4. Anand, Short, 5.-11. Sax, Korchnoi, Hübner, Nikolić, Yudasin, Dolmatov, Dreev | Timman, Yusupov, Speelman, Karpov (seeded in second round) | 1991: 14 players, played one round of matches,1991: Karpov joined winners in quarter-finalsSemi-finals (1992): Short beat Karpov, Timman beat Yusupov | Short beat Timman in the final (1993) | Kasparov (1990 champion) | London September–October 1993: Kasparov defeated Short 13–8 under the auspices of the PCA; |
| Netherlands /Jakarta September–November 1993: Karpov defeated Timman 12½–8½ under the auspices of FIDE | |||||||
| 1993–95 (PCA) | Groningen December 1993 54 players Swiss, 7 qualified | 1.-2. Adams, Anand, 3.- 7. Kamsky, Kramnik, Tiviakov, Gulko, Romanishin | Short | 1994-95: 8 players, matches Semi-finals : Kamsky beat Short, Anand beat Adams | Anand beat Kamsky in the final (1995) | Kasparov (1993 PCA champion) | New York September–October 1995 20 games match Kasparov won 10½–7½ |
| 1993–96 (FIDE) | Biel July 1993 73 players Swiss, 10 qualified | 1. Gelfand, 2.- 9. Van der Sterren, Kamsky, Khalifman, Adams, Yudasin, Salov, Lautier, Kramnik,10.- 15. Anand | Timman, Yusupov | 1994: 12 players played two rounds of matches. | Semi-finals (February 1995): Karpov beat Gelfand, Kamsky beat Salov | Elista 1996 20 games match Karpov won 10½–7½ | |
| Karpov (seeded in the semi-finals) | 1995: Karpov joined winners (Gelfand, Kamsky, Salov) in the semi-finals. | ||||||
