FIDE Grand Prix 2014–15

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 2016 Candidates Tournament.

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.[1]

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 are shared evenly by the tied players.

Players

The Grand Prix consists 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."[2] Moreover, there was no prize money for overall standings, as there had been in previous Grand Prixes.[3]

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.[4] Iranian player Ehsan Ghaem-Maghami was replaced by Georgian Baadur Jobava after the third stop was moved from Tehran to Tbilisi.[5]

Invitee	Country	Qualifying method
Dmitry Andreikin	Russia	Chess World Cup 2013
Evgeny Tomashevsky	Russia
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave	France
Fabiano Caruana	Italy	FIDE rating list (from May 2013 to April 2014)
Alexander Grischuk	Russia
Hikaru Nakamura	United States
Sergey Karjakin	Russia
Leinier Domínguez	Cuba
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov	Azerbaijan
Boris Gelfand	Israel
Peter Svidler	Russia
Dmitry Jakovenko	Russia	organiser's nominees
Teimour Radjabov	Azerbaijan
Rustam Kasimdzhanov	Uzbekistan
Baadur Jobava	Georgia
Anish Giri	Netherlands	FIDE President's nominee

Prize money and Grand Prix points

The prize money is €120,000 per single Grand Prix (down from €170,000) and there is no financial bonus for the overall standings (€420,000 last in 2012-13).[6]

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 2016, and in the case that two or more players have equal cumulative points at the top, the following criteria were utilized to decide the overall Series winner and other overall placings:[6]

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.[5] The fourth stop moved from Moscow to Khanty-Mansiysk.

No.	Host city	Date	Winners	Points (win/draw/loss)
1	Baku, Azerbaijan	1 – 15 October 2014	Fabiano Caruana (ITA) Boris Gelfand (ISR)	6.5/11 (+4=5–2), 6.5/11 (+3=7–1)
2	Tashkent, Uzbekistan	20 October – 3 November 2014	Dmitry Andreikin (RUS)	7/11 (+3=8–0)
3	Tbilisi, Georgia	14 – 28 February 2015	Evgeny Tomashevsky (RUS)	8/11 (+5=6–0)
4	Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia	14 – 26 May 2015	Hikaru Nakamura (USA) Fabiano Caruana (ITA) Dmitry Jakovenko (RUS)	6½/11 (+2=9–0) 6½/11 (+3=7–1) 6½/11 (+4=5–2)

Events crosstables

Baku 2014

1st stage, Baku, Azerbaijan, 1–15 October 2014[7]
	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Total	GP
1	Fabiano Caruana (ITA)	2844	*	½	1	0	1	½	½	½	1	½	0	1	6½	155
2	Boris Gelfand (ISR)	2748	½	*	½	1	½	½	½	1	0	½	1	½	6½	155
3	Sergey Karjakin (RUS)	2767	0	½	*	½	½	½	1	½	½	½	½	1	6	82
4	Alexander Grischuk (RUS)	2797	1	0	½	*	½	½	½	0	½	1	½	1	6	82
5	Peter Svidler (RUS)	2732	0	½	½	½	*	½	½	½	1	½	½	1	6	82
6	Evgeny Tomashevsky (RUS)	2701	½	½	½	½	½	*	½	½	½	½	1	½	6	82
7	Hikaru Nakamura (USA)	2764	½	½	0	½	½	½	*	½	½	1	1	½	6	82
8	Teimour Radjabov (AZE)	2726	½	0	½	1	½	½	½	*	½	½	½	½	5½	50
9	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)	2764	0	1	½	½	0	½	½	½	*	½	½	½	5	35
10	Rustam Kasimdzhanov (UZB)	2706	½	½	½	0	½	½	0	½	½	*	1	½	5	35
11	Dmitry Andreikin (RUS)	2722	1	0	½	½	½	0	0	½	½	0	*	1	4½	20
12	Leinier Dominguez (CUB)	2751	0	½	0	0	0	½	½	½	½	½	0	*	3	10

Tashkent 2014

2nd stage, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 20 October – 3 November 2014[8]
	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Total	GP
1	Dmitry Andreikin (RUS)	2722	*	1	½	1	½	1	½	½	½	½	½	½	7	170
2	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)	2764	0	*	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	1	6½	125
3	Hikaru Nakamura (USA)	2764	½	½	*	1	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	6½	125
4	Baadur Jobava (GEO)	2717	0	½	0	*	½	1	½	½	½	½	1	1	6	75
5	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)	2757	½	½	½	½	*	½	1	½	½	0	1	½	6	75
6	Sergey Karjakin (RUS)	2767	0	½	½	0	½	*	½	½	1	1	1	½	6	75
7	Fabiano Caruana (ITA)	2844	½	½	½	½	0	½	*	½	½	1	½	1	6	75
8	Teimour Radjabov (AZE)	2726	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	*	½	½	½	½	5½	50
9	Anish Giri (NED)	2768	½	½	½	½	½	0	½	½	*	½	½	½	5	40
10	Dmitry Jakovenko (RUS)	2747	½	0	½	½	1	0	0	½	½	*	½	½	4½	30
11	Rustam Kasimdzhanov (UZB)	2706	½	0	½	0	0	0	½	½	½	½	*	½	3½	15
12	Boris Gelfand (ISR)	2748	½	0	0	0	½	½	0	½	½	½	½	*	3½	15

Tbilisi 2015

3rd stage, Tbilisi, Georgia, 14–28 February 2015[9]
	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Total	GP
1	Evgeny Tomashevsky (RUS)	2716	*	½	½	1	½	½	1	1	1	1	½	½	8	170
2	Dmitry Jakovenko (RUS)	2733	½	*	½	½	½	1	½	½	½	1	½	½	6½	140
3	Teimour Radjabov (AZE)	2731	½	½	*	½	½	½	½	1	½	½	½	½	6	110
4	Rustam Kasimdzhanov (UZB)	2705	0	½	½	*	½	½	1	0	½	½	1	½	5½	75
5	Leinier Dominguez (CUB)	2726	½	½	½	½	*	½	½	½	½	0	½	1	5½	75
6	Anish Giri (NED)	2797	½	0	½	½	½	*	½	½	½	½	1	½	5½	75
7	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)	2759	0	½	½	0	½	½	*	1	1	0	½	1	5½	75
8	Alexander Grischuk (RUS)	2810	0	½	0	1	½	½	0	*	½	1	½	½	5	40
9	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)	2775	0	½	½	½	½	½	0	½	*	1	½	½	5	40
10	Baadur Jobava (GEO)	2696	0	0	½	½	1	½	1	0	0	*	1	½	5	40
11	Peter Svidler (RUS)	2739	½	½	½	0	½	0	½	½	½	0	*	1	4½	20
12	Dmitry Andreikin (RUS)	2737	½	½	½	½	0	½	0	½	½	½	0	*	4	10

Khanty-Mansiysk 2015

4th stage, Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, 14–26 May 2015[10]
	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Total	GP
1	Dmitry Jakovenko (RUS)	2738	*	½	1	0	½	0	½	1	1	½	½	1	6½	140
2	Hikaru Nakamura (USA)	2799	½	*	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	6½	140
3	Fabiano Caruana (ITA)	2803	0	½	*	½	½	½	1	½	½	1	½	1	6½	140
4	Leinier Domínguez (CUB)	2734	1	½	½	*	½	1	½	½	½	½	0	½	6	85
5	Boris Gelfand (ISR)	2744	½	½	½	½	*	1	½	½	½	½	½	½	6	85
6	Peter Svidler (RUS)	2734	1	½	½	0	0	*	½	1	½	0	1	½	5½	55
7	Alexander Grischuk (RUS)	2780	½	½	0	½	½	½	*	½	1	½	½	½	5½	55
8	Anish Giri (NED)	2776	0	½	½	½	½	0	½	*	½	1	1	½	5½	55
9	Sergey Karjakin (RUS)	2753	0	½	½	½	½	½	0	½	*	1	½	1	5½	55
10	Evgeny Tomashevsky (RUS)	2749	½	½	0	½	½	1	½	0	0	*	1	½	5	30
11	Baadur Jobava (GEO)	2699	½	0	½	1	½	0	½	0	½	0	*	½	4	20
12	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)	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 rating May 2015	Baku	Tashkent	Tbilisi	Khanty- Mansiysk	Total
1	Fabiano Caruana (ITA)	2803	155	75		140	370
2	Hikaru Nakamura (USA)	2799	82	125		140	347
3	Dmitry Jakovenko (RUS)	2738		30	140	140	310
4	Evgeny Tomashevsky (RUS)	2749	82		170	30	282
5	Boris Gelfand (ISR)	2744	155	15		85	255
6	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)	2735	35	125	75		235
7	Sergey Karjakin (RUS)	2753	82	75		55	212
8	Teimour Radjabov (AZE)	2738	50	50	110		210
9	Dmitry Andreikin (RUS)	2723	20	170	10		200
10	Alexander Grischuk (RUS)	2780	82		40	55	177
11	Leinier Domínguez (CUB)	2734	10		75	85	170
12	Anish Giri (NED)	2776		40	75	55	170
13	Peter Svidler (RUS)	2734	82		20	55	157
14	Baadur Jobava (GEO)	2699		75	40	20	135
15	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)	2754		75	40	10	125
16	Rustam Kasimdzhanov (UZB)	2715	35	15	75		125

References

"FIDE Grand-Prix 2014-2015 Announcement". FIDE. 20 August 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
Levon Aronian: "I'm Friendly in Everyday Life and a Fighter Over the Board" (interview)
FIDE GP Regulations 2014-15
http://www.fide.com/component/content/article/1-fide-news/8265-fide-grand-prix-series-2014-2015.html
"Grand Prix Announcement". FIDE. 15 October 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
"Regulations for the Grand Prix" (PDF). FIDE. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
Baku Grand Prix: Official site
Tashkent Grand Prix: Official site
Tbilisi Grand Prix: Official site
Khanty-Mansiysk Grand Prix: Official site

External links

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[1] "FIDE Grand-Prix 2014-2015 Announcement". FIDE. 20 August 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.

[2] Levon Aronian: "I'm Friendly in Everyday Life and a Fighter Over the Board" (interview)

[3] FIDE GP Regulations 2014-15

[4] ttp://www.fide.com/component/content/article/1-fide-news/8265-fide-grand-prix-series-2014-2015.html

[thirdstop-5] "Grand Prix Announcement". FIDE. 15 October 2014. Retrieved 17 October 2014.

[regulations-6] "Regulations for the Grand Prix" (PDF). FIDE. Retrieved 20 August 2014.

[7] Baku Grand Prix: Official site

[8] Tashkent Grand Prix: Official site

[9] Tbilisi Grand Prix: Official site

[10] Khanty-Mansiysk Grand Prix: Official site

FIDE Grand Prix
Open	2008–10 (Aronian) 2012–13 (Topalov) 2014–15 (Caruana) 2017 (Mamedyarov) 2019 (Grischuk)
Women	2009–11 (Hou Yifan) 2011–12 (Hou Yifan) 2013–14 (Hou Yifan) 2015–16 (Ju Wenjun) 2019–20