Candidates Tournament 2014

Candidates Tournament 2014
Viswanathan Anand, the winner of the Candidates Tournament 2014, advanced to the World Chess Championship 2014 match.
Venue	Yugra Chess Academy
Location	Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia
Dates	13–31 March 2014
Competitors	8 from 5 nations
Winning score	8.5 points of 14
Champion
Viswanathan Anand
←  2013 2016  →

See also: World Chess Championship 2014

The Candidates Tournament 2014 was an eight-player double round-robin chess tournament that took place in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, from 13 March to 31 March 2014. ^[1]

Participants

The participants, in order of rules announced by FIDE, were: ^[2]

Qualification path	Player	Age	March 2014 rating	World Ranking (March 2014)
2013 World Championship runner-up	Viswanathan Anand	44	2770	8
The top two finishers in the Chess World Cup 2013	Vladimir Kramnik	38	2787	3
	Dmitry Andreikin	24	2709	42
The top two finishers in the FIDE Grand Prix 2012–13	Veselin Topalov [3]	39	2785	4
	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov	28	2757	13
The next two highest rated players who played in the Chess World Cup 2013 or the FIDE Grand Prix 2012–13 (average FIDE rating on the 12 monthly lists from August 2012 to July 2013) [4]	Levon Aronian	31	2830	2
	Sergey Karjakin	24	2766	9
Organizing committee's wild card (FIDE rating in July 2013 at least 2725)	Peter Svidler [5]	37	2758	11

Prize fund

The tournament had a prize fund of €420,000. Prize money was shared between players tied on points; tiebreaks were not used to allocate it. The prizes for each place were as follows: ^[6]

• 1st place – €95,000
• 2nd place – €88,000
• 3rd place – €75,000
• 4th place – €55,000
• 5th place – €40,000
• 6th place – €28,000
• 7th place – €22,000
• 8th place – €17,000

Standings

Final standings of the 2014 Candidates Tournament ^[7]

Rank	Player	Rating March 2014 [8]	1 (ANA)		2 (KAR)		3 (KRA)		4 (MAM)		5 (AND)		6 (ARO)		7 (SVI)		8 (TOP)		Points	Tiebreaks [2]
																				H2H	Wins	SB
1	Viswanathan Anand	2770			½	½	½	½	½	1	½	½	1	½	½	½	1	½	8½	—	3	57.25
2	Sergey Karjakin	2766	½	½			1	0	½	½	½	½	0	1	½	1	½	½	7½	—	3	51.75
3	Vladimir Kramnik	2787	½	½	1	0			1	½	½	½	½	½	0	½	1	0	7	2½	3	49.25
4	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov	2757	0	½	½	½	½	0			1	½	1	0	1	½	½	½	7	2	3	48.00
5	Dmitry Andreikin	2709	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	0			1	½	½	0	1	½	7	1½	2	48.50
6	Levon Aronian	2830	½	0	0	1	½	½	1	0	½	0			1	½	½	½	6½	1½	3	45.00
7	Peter Svidler	2758	½	½	0	½	½	1	½	0	1	½	½	0			1	0	6½	½	3	46.00
8	Veselin Topalov	2785	½	0	½	½	1	0	½	½	½	0	½	½	1	0			6	—	2	42.25

In the event of a tie, the following tie-break methods were used, in order of precedence: ^[9]

1. Head-to-head scores between the tied players;
2. Highest number of wins;
3. The player with the highest Sonneborn–Berger score;
4. Rapid chess play-offs.

Results by round

Pairings and results ^{[7] [10]} Numbers in parentheses indicate players' scores prior to the round.

Round 1 – 13 March 2014 Dmitry Andreikin Vladimir Kramnik ½–½ E32 Nimzo-Indian, Classical Sergey Karjakin Peter Svidler ½–½ B48 Sicilian, Taimanov Shakhriyar Mamedyarov Veselin Topalov ½–½ D11 Slav Accepted Viswanathan Anand Levon Aronian 1–0 C88 Ruy Lopez Round 2 – 14 March 2014 Vladimir Kramnik (½) Sergey Karjakin (½) 1–0 D20 Queen's Gambit Accepted Peter Svidler (½) Dmitry Andreikin (½) 1–0 B32 Sicilian Defence Veselin Topalov (½) Viswanathan Anand (1) ½–½ A11 English Opening Levon Aronian (0) Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (½) 1–0 D38 Queen's Gambit Declined Round 3 – 15 March 2014 Dmitry Andreikin (½) Sergey Karjakin (½) ½–½ C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defence Peter Svidler (1½) Vladimir Kramnik (1½) ½–½ A35 English, Symmetrical Veselin Topalov (1) Levon Aronian (1) ½–½ C88 Ruy Lopez Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (½) Viswanathan Anand (1½) 0–1 D11 Slav Accepted Round 4 – 17 March 2014 Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (½) Dmitry Andreikin (1) 1–0 D45 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav Sergey Karjakin (1) Veselin Topalov (1½) ½–½ A29 English, Four Knights, Kingside Fianchetto Levon Aronian (1½) Peter Svidler (2) 1–0 D85 Grünfeld, Exchange Viswanathan Anand (2½) Vladimir Kramnik (2) ½–½ D37 Queen's Gambit Declined Round 5 – 18 March 2014 Dmitry Andreikin (1) Viswanathan Anand (3) ½–½ C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defence Sergey Karjakin (1½) Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (1½) ½–½ B52 Sicilian Defence, Canal-Sokolsky Attack Peter Svidler (2) Veselin Topalov (2) 1–0 C78 Ruy Lopez Vladimir Kramnik (2½) Levon Aronian (2½) ½–½ E10 Queen's Pawn Game Round 6 – 19 March 2014 Levon Aronian (3) Dmitry Andreikin (1½) ½–½ A12 English, Caro-Kann Defensive System Viswanathan Anand (3½) Sergey Karjakin (2) ½–½ C67 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defence, Open Variation Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2) Peter Svidler (3) 1–0 A81 Dutch Defence Veselin Topalov (2) Vladimir Kramnik (3) 1–0 D37 Queen's Gambit Declined Round 7 – 21 March 2014 Sergey Karjakin (2½) Levon Aronian (3½) 0–1 C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defence Peter Svidler (3) Viswanathan Anand (4) ½–½ C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defence Vladimir Kramnik (3) Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (3) 1–0 D38 Queen's Gambit Declined Dmitry Andreikin (2) Veselin Topalov (3) 1–0 D30 Queen's Gambit Declined

Round 8 – 22 March 2014 Vladimir Kramnik (4) Dmitry Andreikin (3) ½–½ D15 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav Peter Svidler (3½) Sergey Karjakin (2½) 0–1 A05 Réti Opening Veselin Topalov (3) Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (3) ½–½ B90 Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation Levon Aronian (4½) Viswanathan Anand (4½) ½–½ A11 English, Caro-Kann Defensive System Round 9 – 23 March 2014 Sergey Karjakin (3½) Vladimir Kramnik (4½) 1–0 D02 Queen's Pawn Game Dmitry Andreikin (3½) Peter Svidler (3½) ½–½ B90 Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation Viswanathan Anand (5) Veselin Topalov (3½) 1–0 B90 Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (3½) Levon Aronian (5) 1–0 E20 Nimzo-Indian Round 10 – 25 March 2014 Sergey Karjakin (4½) Dmitry Andreikin (4) ½–½ B46 Sicilian Defence, Taimanov Variation Vladimir Kramnik (4½) Peter Svidler (4) 0–1 A80 Dutch Defense Levon Aronian (5) Veselin Topalov (3½) ½–½ D15 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav Viswanathan Anand (6) Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (4½) ½–½ B90 Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation Round 11 – 26 March 2014 Dmitry Andreikin (4½) Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (5) ½–½ E04 Catalan Opening, Open, 5. Nf3 Veselin Topalov (4) Sergey Karjakin (5) ½–½ A30 English, Symmetrical Peter Svidler (5) Levon Aronian (5½) ½–½ A07 King's Indian Attack Vladimir Kramnik (4½) Viswanathan Anand (6½) ½–½ E06 Catalan Opening, Closed, 5.Nf3 Round 12 – 27 March 2014 Viswanathan Anand (7) Dmitry Andreikin (5) ½–½ B18 Caro-Kann, Classical Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (5½) Sergey Karjakin (5½) ½–½ E20 Nimzo-Indian Veselin Topalov (4½) Peter Svidler (5½) 1–0 B49 Sicilian Defence, Taimanov Variation Levon Aronian (6) Vladimir Kramnik (5) ½–½ D36 Queen's Gambit Declined Round 13 – 29 March 2014 Dmitry Andreikin (5½) Levon Aronian (6½) 1–0 A45 Trompowsky Attack Sergey Karjakin (6) Viswanathan Anand (7½) ½–½ D36 Queen's Gambit Declined Peter Svidler (5½) Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (6) ½–½ B90 Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation Vladimir Kramnik (5½) Veselin Topalov (5½) 1–0 D43 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav Round 14 – 30 March 2014 Levon Aronian (6½) Sergey Karjakin (6½) 0–1 B23 Sicilian Defence, Closed Viswanathan Anand (8) Peter Svidler (6) ½–½ C89 Ruy Lopez, Marshall Attack Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (6½) Vladimir Kramnik (6½) ½–½ E32 Nimzo-Indian, Classical Veselin Topalov (5½) Dmitry Andreikin (6½) ½–½ C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defence

Points by round

For each player, the difference between wins and losses after each round is shown. The players with the highest difference for each round are marked with green background.

Final place	Player \ Round	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14
1	Viswanathan Anand  (IND)	+1	+1	+2	+2	+2	+2	+2	+2	+3	+3	+3	+3	+3	+3
2	Sergey Karjakin  (RUS)	=0	–1	–1	–1	–1	–1	–2	–1	=0	=0	=0	=0	=0	+1
3	Vladimir Kramnik  (RUS)	=0	+1	+1	+1	+1	=0	+1	+1	=0	–1	–1	–1	=0	=0
4	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov  (AZE)	=0	–1	–2	–1	–1	=0	–1	–1	=0	=0	=0	=0	=0	=0
5	Dmitry Andreikin  (RUS)	=0	–1	–1	–2	–2	–2	–1	–1	–1	–1	–1	–1	=0	=0
6	Levon Aronian  (ARM)	–1	=0	=0	+1	+1	+1	+2	+2	+1	+1	+1	+1	=0	–1
7	Peter Svidler  (RUS)	=0	+1	+1	=0	+1	=0	=0	–1	–1	=0	=0	–1	–1	–1
8	Veselin Topalov  (BUL)	=0	=0	=0	=0	–1	=0	–1	–1	–2	–2	–2	–1	–2	–2

References

1. "International Chess Federation - FIDE".
2. FIDE: Rules & regulations for the Candidates Tournament of the FIDE World Championship cycle 2012–2014
3. "Mamedyarov first in Beijing, Topalov wins Grand Prix overall". Archived from the original on 2013-07-19. Retrieved 2018-11-14.
4. Players needed to have played at least 30 rated games in that time period, which all players under consideration have achieved.
5. Aysa Mondrunova. "Peter Svidler is Organiser's nominee for 2014 Candidates Tournament" . Retrieved 24 November 2014.
6. "Pairings for Candidates Tournament Published". Chess News. 12 February 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
7. "Pairings and results". FIDE. Archived from the original on 13 March 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
8. "FIDE Top players – Top 100 Players March 2013". FIDE. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
9. "Rules & regulations for the Candidates Tournament of the FIDE World Championship cycle 2012-2014" (PDF). FIDE. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
10. "World Chess Championship Candidates (2014)". chessgames.com.