FIDE Grand Prix 2014–15
# 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.

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." Moreover, there was no prize money for overall standings, as there had been in previous Grand Prixes.

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.

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

| 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:

* 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 | 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 PlayerRating123456789101112TotalSBTPRGP 1 Fabiano Caruana (ITA)2844 *½101½½½1½016½155 2 Boris Gelfand (ISR)2748 ½*½1½½½10½1½6½155 3 Sergey Karjakin (RUS)2767 0½*½½½1½½½½1682 4 Alexander Grischuk (RUS)2797 10½*½½½0½1½1682 5 Peter Svidler (RUS)2732 0½½½*½½½1½½1682 6 Evgeny Tomashevsky (RUS)2701 ½½½½½*½½½½1½682 7 Hikaru Nakamura (USA)2764 ½½0½½½*½½11½682 8 Teimour Radjabov (AZE)2726 ½0½1½½½*½½½½5½50 9 Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)2764 01½½0½½½*½½½535 10 Rustam Kasimdzhanov (UZB)2706 ½½½0½½0½½*1½535 11 Dmitry Andreikin (RUS)2722 10½½½00½½0*14½20 12 Leinier Domínguez (CUB)2751 0½000½½½½½0*310

### Tashkent 2014

    2nd stage, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 20 October – 3 November 2014 PlayerRating123456789101112TotalSBTPRGP 1 Dmitry Andreikin (RUS)2722 *1½1½1½½½½½½7170 2 Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)2764 0*½½½½½½½1116½125 3 Hikaru Nakamura (USA)2764 ½½*1½½½½½½½16½125 4 Baadur Jobava (GEO)2717 0½0*½1½½½½11675 5 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)2757 ½½½½*½1½½01½675 6 Sergey Karjakin (RUS)2767 0½½0½*½½111½675 7 Fabiano Caruana (ITA)2844 ½½½½0½*½½1½1675 8 Teimour Radjabov (AZE)2726 ½½½½½½½*½½½½5½50 9 Anish Giri (NED)2768 ½½½½½0½½*½½½540 10 Dmitry Jakovenko (RUS)2747 ½0½½100½½*½½4½30 11 Rustam Kasimdzhanov (UZB)2706 ½0½000½½½½*½3½15 12 Boris Gelfand (ISR)2748 ½000½½0½½½½*3½15

### Tbilisi 2015

    3rd stage, Tbilisi, Georgia, 14–28 February 2015 PlayerRating123456789101112TotalSBTPRGP 1 Evgeny Tomashevsky (RUS)2716 *½½1½½1111½½8170 2 Dmitry Jakovenko (RUS)2733 ½*½½½1½½½1½½6½140 3 Teimour Radjabov (AZE)2731 ½½*½½½½1½½½½6110 4 Rustam Kasimdzhanov (UZB)2705 0½½*½½10½½1½5½75 5 Leinier Domínguez (CUB)2726 ½½½½*½½½½0½15½75 6 Anish Giri (NED)2797 ½0½½½*½½½½1½5½75 7 Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)2759 0½½0½½*110½15½75 8 Alexander Grischuk (RUS)2810 0½01½½0*½1½½540 9 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)2775 0½½½½½0½*1½½540 10 Baadur Jobava (GEO)2696 00½½1½100*1½540 11 Peter Svidler (RUS)2739 ½½½0½0½½½0*14½20 12 Dmitry Andreikin (RUS)2737 ½½½½0½0½½½0*410

### Khanty-Mansiysk 2015

    4th stage, Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, 14–26 May 2015 PlayerRating123456789101112TotalSBTPRGP 1 Dmitry Jakovenko (RUS)2738 *½10½0½11½½16½140 2 Hikaru Nakamura (USA)2799 ½*½½½½½½½½116½140 3 Fabiano Caruana (ITA)2803 0½*½½½1½½1½16½140 4 Leinier Domínguez (CUB)2734 1½½*½1½½½½0½685 5 Boris Gelfand (ISR)2744 ½½½½*1½½½½½½685 6 Peter Svidler (RUS)2734 1½½00*½1½01½5½55 7 Alexander Grischuk (RUS)2780 ½½0½½½*½1½½½5½55 8 Anish Giri (NED)2776 0½½½½0½*½11½5½55 9 Sergey Karjakin (RUS)2753 0½½½½½0½*1½15½55 10 Evgeny Tomashevsky (RUS)2749 ½½0½½1½00*1½530 11 Baadur Jobava (GEO)2699 ½0½1½0½0½0*½420 12 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)2754 000½½½½½0½½*3½10

## 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 |
