Grand Chess Tour 2015

Last updated
Grand Chess Tour
2015
World Chess Championship 2016 Game 12 - 4.jpg
2015 Grand Chess Tour winner Magnus Carlsen.
Tournament information
Dates15 June–14 December 2015
Host(s) Stavanger
St. Louis
London
Final positions
Champion Flag of Norway.svg Magnus Carlsen
Runner-up Flag of the Netherlands.svg Anish Giri
3rd place Flag of Armenia.svg Levon Aronian
Tournament statistics
Most tournament titles Flag of Bulgaria.svg Veselin Topalov
Flag of Armenia.svg Levon Aronian
Flag of Norway.svg Magnus Carlsen (1)
Prize money leader Flag of Norway.svg Magnus Carlsen ($215,000)
Points leader Flag of Norway.svg Magnus Carlsen (26)
2016  

Grand Chess Tour 2015 was an inaugural edition of Grand Chess Tour, an annual circuit of chess tournaments. It was won by incumbent World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen.

Contents

The Grand Chess Tour was announced on April 24, 2015, prior to the match between Garry Kasparov and Nigel Short, and was billed as "the biggest announcement in professional chess since 1988." [1] It had three events – Norway Chess in June, Sinquefield Cup in August and London Chess Classic in December. Each tournament consisted of nine regular tour players, who were selected based on their rating, and one wildcard.

Format

Scoring system was as follows:

PlacePoints
1st12/13*
2nd10
3rd8
4th7
  5th6
  6th5
  7th4
8th3
  9th2
10th1

Lineup

Eight players, including World Champion Magnus Carlsen, were selected based on their ratings in January 2015. Ninth player invited to the tour was Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. Notably, Sergey Karjakin was absent, despite him being two-time Norway Chess winner and 11th on FIDE rankings in January 2015, while No. 8 Vladimir Kramnik and No. 10 Wesley So declined their invitations. [2]

PlayerCountryRating (January 2015)
1 Magnus Carlsen Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 2862
2 Fabiano Caruana Flag of Italy.svg  Italy [lower-alpha 1] 2820
3 Alexander Grischuk Flag of Russia.svg  Russia 2810
4 Veselin Topalov Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria 2800
5 Viswanathan Anand Flag of India.svg  India 2797
6 Levon Aronian Flag of Armenia.svg  Armenia 2797
7 Anish Giri Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 2784
8 Hikaru Nakamura Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States 2776
9 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave Flag of France.svg  France 2757

Schedule and results

DatesTournamentHost cityWinnerRunner-upThird place
June 15–26 Norway Chess Flag of Norway.svg Stavanger Flag of Bulgaria.svg Veselin Topalov Flag of India.svg Viswanathan Anand Flag of the United States.svg Hikaru Nakamura
August 22–September 3 Sinquefield Cup Flag of the United States.svg St. Louis Flag of Armenia.svg Levon Aronian Flag of Norway.svg Magnus Carlsen Flag of the United States.svg Hikaru Nakamura
December 4–13 London Chess Classic Flag of the United Kingdom.svg London Flag of Norway.svg Magnus Carlsen Flag of the Netherlands.svg Anish Giri Flag of France.svg Maxime Vachier-Lagrave

Tournaments

Norway Chess

Wildcard qualifier

EnterCard Chess Qualifier took place in Oslo, Norway on May 10–15, 2015, and determined last wildcard spot. Jon Ludvig Hammer of Norway won the tournament to qualify into the main event. [3]

EnterCard Chess Qualifier, May 10–15, Oslo, Norway
PlayerClassicalRapidTotal
Points
Rating 123456Points Rating 123456Points
1Flag of Norway.svg GM Jon Ludvig Hammer  (NOR)2665Does not appear1122282578Does not appear1½½11412
2Flag of France.svg GM Laurent Fressinet  (FRA)27121Does not appear2122827070Does not appear½½11311
3Flag of Norway.svg IM Aryan Tari  (NOR)252010Does not appear11142442½½Does not appear½11
4Flag of Sweden.svg GM Nils Grandelius  (SWE)2623011Does not appear2152623½½½Does not appear00
5Flag of Denmark.svg GM Curt Hansen  (DEN)26210010Does not appear2326210001Does not appear½
6Flag of Norway.svg GM Simen Agdestein  (NOR)262000110Does not appear225750001½Does not appear

Blitz tournament

Blitz tournament was played on June 15, 2015, to decide the pairings for the classical tournament. It was won by French grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. [4]

3rd Norway Chess Blitz, 15 June 2015, Stavanger, Norway [5]
Player Blitz rating 12345678910PointsBlackWinsBlack wins
1Flag of France.svg  Maxime Vachier-Lagrave  (FRA)2826Does not appear0½1½1½111
2Flag of the United States.svg  Hikaru Nakamura  (USA)28831Does not appear½0½101116
3Flag of India.svg  Viswanathan Anand  (IND)2767½½Does not appear0011½11543
4Flag of Norway.svg  Magnus Carlsen  (NOR)2933011Does not appear½½01½1542
5Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Anish Giri  (NED)2771½½1½Does not appear0½½114
6Flag of Armenia.svg  Levon Aronian  (ARM)2816000½1Does not appear½1115
7Flag of Russia.svg  Alexander Grischuk  (RUS)2839½101½½Does not appear00½4
8Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Veselin Topalov  (BUL)264100½0½01Does not appear013
9Flag of Italy.svg  Fabiano Caruana  (ITA)2679000½0011Does not appear0
10Flag of Norway.svg  Jon Ludvig Hammer  (NOR)2648000000½01Does not appear

Classical tournament

3rd Norway Chess, 16–25 June 2015, Stavanger, Norway, Category XXII (2782) [6]
Player Rating 12345678910PointsWinsH2H SB TPR Tour points
1Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Veselin Topalov  (BUL)2798½½0½11111294613
2Flag of India.svg  Viswanathan Anand  (IND)2804½Does not appear½½½11½½163½24.75290410
3Flag of the United States.svg  Hikaru Nakamura  (USA)2802½½Does not appear½1½½½1163½24.5029048
4Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Anish Giri  (NED)27731½½Does not appear½½½1½½28627
5Flag of Italy.svg  Fabiano Caruana  (ITA)2805½½0½Does not appear½1½0½41½17.7527366
6Flag of France.svg  Maxime Vachier-Lagrave  (FRA)272300½½½Does not appear½½1½41½15.7527455
7Flag of Norway.svg  Magnus Carlsen  (NOR)287600½½0½Does not appear110226914
8Flag of Russia.svg  Alexander Grischuk  (RUS)27810½½0½½0Does not appear½1127023
9Flag of Armenia.svg  Levon Aronian  (ARM)27800½0½100½Does not appear½31½13.0026572
10Flag of Norway.svg  Jon Ludvig Hammer  (NOR)2677000½½½10½Does not appear31½11.752668 WC (1)

Sinquefield Cup

3rd Sinquefield Cup, 22 August – 3 September 2015, St. Louis, Missouri, United States, Category XXII (2794.6) [7]
Player Rating 12345678910PointsWinsH2H SB TPR Tour Points
1Flag of Armenia.svg  Levon Aronian  (ARM)2765½1½½½½1½16292313
2Flag of Norway.svg  Magnus Carlsen  (NOR)2853½Does not appear½1½001½153½21.25283110
3Flag of the United States.svg  Hikaru Nakamura  (USA)28140½Does not appear½½10½1153½20.2528358
4Flag of France.svg  Maxime Vachier-Lagrave  (FRA)2731½0½Does not appear½½1½½15228457
5Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Anish Giri  (NED)2793½½½½Does not appear1½½½½5128386
6Flag of Russia.svg  Alexander Grischuk  (RUS)2771½10½0Does not appear½110327975
7Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Veselin Topalov  (BUL)2816½110½½Does not appear0½½227924
8Flag of the United States.svg  Fabiano Caruana  (USA)280800½½½01Does not appear½½127133
9Flag of India.svg  Viswanathan Anand  (IND)2816½½0½½0½½Does not appear½027122
10Flag of the United States.svg  Wesley So  (USA)27790000½1½½½Does not appear32671 WC (1)

London Chess Classic

7th London Chess Classic, 3–14 December 2015, London, England, Category XXII (2784) [8]
PlayerRating12345678910PointsWinsH2H SB TPR Tour Points
1Flag of Norway.svg  Magnus Carlsen  (NOR)2834½½½1½½1½½2124.00285912
2Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Anish Giri  (NED)2784½Does not appear½½½½½1½12123.00286410
3Flag of France.svg  Maxime Vachier-Lagrave  (FRA)2773½½Does not appear½½½½½112122.7528658
4Flag of Armenia.svg  Levon Aronian  (ARM)2788½½½Does not appear½½½½½1528277
5Flag of Russia.svg  Alexander Grischuk  (RUS)27470½½½Does not appear½½½1½127886
6Flag of the United States.svg  Fabiano Caruana  (USA)2787½½½½½Does not appear½½½½0½20.2527844.5
7Flag of England.svg  Michael Adams  (ENG)2737½½½½½½Does not appear½½½0½20.252789 WC (4.5)
8Flag of the United States.svg  Hikaru Nakamura  (USA)279300½½½½½Does not appear1½427403
9Flag of India.svg  Viswanathan Anand  (IND)2796½½0½0½½0Does not appear127032
10Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Veselin Topalov  (BUL)2803½000½½½½0Does not appear26161

First place play-off

Semifinal Final
1 Flag of Norway.svg  Magnus Carlsen  (Norway)
2 Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Anish Giri  (Netherlands)1 3 Flag of France.svg  Maxime Vachier-Lagrave  (France)½
3 Flag of France.svg  Maxime Vachier-Lagrave  (France)2

Standings

PlayerNorway [9] SinquefieldLondonTotal pointsPrize money
1Flag of Norway.svg  Magnus Carlsen  (Norway)4101226$215,000
2Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Anish Giri  (Netherlands)761023$155,000
3Flag of Armenia.svg  Levon Aronian  (Armenia)213722$145,000
4Flag of France.svg  Maxime Vachier-Lagrave  (France)57820$90,000
5Flag of the United States.svg  Hikaru Nakamura  (United States)88319$95,000
6Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Veselin Topalov  (Bulgaria)134118$105,000
T-7Flag of Russia.svg  Alexander Grischuk  (Russia)35614$60,000
T-7Flag of India.svg  Viswanathan Anand  (India)102214$80,000
9Flag of the United States.svg  Fabiano Caruana  (United States) [lower-alpha 1] 634.513.5$55,000
Flag of England.svg  Michael Adams  (England)4.54.5$20,000
Flag of Norway.svg  Jon Ludvig Hammer  (Norway)11$15,000
Flag of the United States.svg  Wesley So  (United States)11$15,000

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References

  1. Doggers, Peter (25 April 2015). "'Grand Chess Tour' Announced In St. Louis". Chess.com.
  2. "Top 100 Players January 2015 - Archive". ratings.fide.com.
  3. Doggers, Peter (16 May 2015). "Hammer Qualifies For Norway Chess, Brings Chess Drama To TV". Chess.com.
  4. "Vachier-Lagrave wins the opening blitz of the 3rd Norway Chess tournament | the Week in Chess".
  5. Mark Crowther (29 June 2015). "The Week in Chess 1077". The Week in Chess.
  6. Mark Crowther (25 June 2015). "Topalov wins Norway Chess 2015". The Week in Chess.
  7. Pein, Malcolm (4 September 2015). "Grand Chess Tour 2015: Magnus Carlsen back in contention for top prize after Aronian's win". The Telegraph .
  8. Mark Crowther (14 December 2015). "THE WEEK IN CHESS 1101". The Week in Chess.
  9. "Norway Chess 2015". Archived from the original on 2015-12-01. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  10. Doggers, Peter (12 May 2015). "Breaking: Fabiano Caruana To Play For USA (Updated)". Chess.com.
  11. Doggers, Peter (26 June 2015). "Topalov Wins Norway Chess After Quick Draw With Anand". Chess.com.

Notes

  1. 1 2 Although representing Italy when the roster was announced, Fabiano Caruana has switched federations and played under the flag of the United States after Norway Chess [10] [11]