Zurich Chess Challenge

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The Zurich Chess Challenge (ZCC) was one of the major recurring international chess tournaments, combining rapid chess with classical or blitz chess. Zurich was an exhibition type of tournament, similar at the former Amber chess tournament ambience, which explained some laxness and a comparatively brief duration of the whole event. It took place in Zurich, Switzerland. The main sponsor was Russian businessman Oleg Skvortsov. [1]

Contents

Winners

#YearChallenge winner
12012Two-player match resulted in a draw
22013Flag of Italy.svg  Fabiano Caruana  (Italy)
32014Flag of Norway.svg  Magnus Carlsen  (Norway)
42015Flag of the United States.svg  Hikaru Nakamura  (United States)
52016Flag of the United States.svg  Hikaru Nakamura  (United States)
62017Flag of the United States.svg  Hikaru Nakamura  (United States)

Zurich Chess Challenge 2012

The Zurich Chess Challenge 2012 was a six-game chess match between Vladimir Kramnik (Russia) and Levon Aronian (Armenia) from 21 to 28 April 2012. [2] [3] Each player won one game and there were four draws.

Rating123456TotalRating change
Flag of Russia.svg  Vladimir Kramnik  (Russia)28010½1½½½3+2
Flag of Armenia.svg  Levon Aronian  (Armenia)28201½0½½½3−2

Zurich Chess Challenge 2013

Italy's Fabiano Caruana won the Zurich Chess Challenge 2013 which took place from 23 February to 1 March 2013. [4] [5] [6]

NoPlayerRating1234PointsRating change
1Flag of Italy.svg  Fabiano Caruana  (ITA)2757Does not appear½ 1½ ½½ 14+12
2Flag of India.svg  Viswanathan Anand  (IND)2780½ 0Does not appear½ 1½ ½3−1
3Flag of Russia.svg  Vladimir Kramnik  (RUS)2810½ ½½ 0Does not appear½ ½2½−9
4Flag of Israel.svg  Boris Gelfand  (ISR)2740½ 0½ ½½ ½Does not appear2½−1

Zurich Chess Challenge 2014

The Zurich Chess Challenge 2014 took place from 29 January to 4 February 2014. The average rating of its participants was 2801, the highest ever at the time, and it was also the first category 23 tournament ever. [7] Magnus Carlsen won the tournament.

The opening day included five rounds of blitz to decide the draw, which was won by Carlsen. The main tournament consisted of five rounds of classical chess and finally five rounds of rapid chess on the closure day. [8] [9]

Blitz results

NoPlayerBlitz rating123456PointsSB
1Flag of Norway.svg  Magnus Carlsen  (NOR)2837Does not appear½101½37.25
2Flag of Armenia.svg  Levon Aronian  (ARM)2863½Does not appear0½1136.75
3Flag of the United States.svg  Hikaru Nakamura  (USA)287901Does not appear1½02½6.75
4Flag of Italy.svg  Fabiano Caruana  (ITA)26971½0Does not appear012½6
5Flag of India.svg  Viswanathan Anand  (IND)282700½1Does not appear12½5.25
6Flag of Israel.svg  Boris Gelfand  (ISR)2719½0100Does not appear1½4

Classical results

NoPlayer FIDE rank Rating123456PointsRating change
1Flag of Norway.svg  Magnus Carlsen  (NOR)12872Does not appear½11½18+9
2Flag of Armenia.svg  Levon Aronian  (ARM)22812½Does not appear011½6+4
3Flag of Italy.svg  Fabiano Caruana  (ITA)6278201Does not appear½½½5+2
4Flag of the United States.svg  Hikaru Nakamura  (USA)3278900½Does not appear1½4−4
5Flag of India.svg  Viswanathan Anand  (IND)92773½0½0Does not appear14−3
6Flag of Israel.svg  Boris Gelfand  (ISR)827770½½½0Does not appear3−8

For games that ended in a draw in under 40 moves, a subsequent rapid game between the two players was mandatory, although these particular rapid games had no relevance to the tournament standings. Two such games were played: Gelfand–Aronian (0–1) in the third round and Gelfand–Nakamura (1–0) in the fifth round.

Rapid results

NoPlayerRapid rating123456PointsRating change
1Flag of Italy.svg  Fabiano Caruana  (ITA)2812Does not appear1½1½14+28
2Flag of the United States.svg  Hikaru Nakamura  (USA)28260Does not appear1½113½+15
3Flag of Armenia.svg  Levon Aronian  (ARM)2770½0Does not appear1½13+15
4Flag of Norway.svg  Magnus Carlsen  (NOR)28450½0Does not appear1½2−18
5Flag of Israel.svg  Boris Gelfand  (ISR)2735½0½0Does not appear½1½−10
6Flag of India.svg  Viswanathan Anand  (IND)2800000½½Does not appear1−30

Combined final results

The combined final score for the tournament was calculated by scoring each game in the classical competition on a 2–1–0 basis and each game in the rapid competition on a 1–½–0 basis.

NoPlayerPoints
1Flag of Norway.svg  Magnus Carlsen  (NOR)10
2Flag of Italy.svg  Fabiano Caruana  (ITA)9
3Flag of Armenia.svg  Levon Aronian  (ARM)9
4Flag of the United States.svg  Hikaru Nakamura  (USA)7½
5Flag of India.svg  Viswanathan Anand  (IND)5
6Flag of Israel.svg  Boris Gelfand  (ISR)4½

Zurich Chess Challenge 2015

The 2015 tournament featured Fabiano Caruana, Viswanathan Anand, Vladimir Kramnik, Levon Aronian, Sergey Karjakin and Hikaru Nakamura. The tournament was held from 13–19 February 2015 at the Hotel Savoy Baur en Ville in Zurich. [10]

A blitz tournament determined the color distribution on the first day of the tournament (Friday, 13 February, 2015). [11] After the opening, 5 classical games were played following by another 5 rapid games on the last day of the tournament. The rules stated that wins (2 points) and draws (1) count double for classical games, with a draw before move 40 “punished” by an extra rapid game.

Viswanathan Anand and Hikaru Nakamura ended up with 9 points. For determining the winner, although it was said before that the previous games between the two must decide the result, they changed the rules midway and asked the players to play an armageddon game in which Hikaru Nakamura won with black and ended up as the tournament winner.

Blitz results

NoPlayerBlitz rating123456PointsSB
1Flag of Armenia.svg  Levon Aronian  (ARM)2777Does not appear½11½148.75
2Flag of Italy.svg  Fabiano Caruana  (ITA)2811½Does not appear½½113.56.75
3Flag of India.svg  Viswanathan Anand  (IND)27970½Does not appear1113.55.75
4Flag of the United States.svg  Hikaru Nakamura  (USA)27760½0Does not appear½123.25
5Flag of Russia.svg  Vladimir Kramnik  (RUS)2783½00½Does not appear013
6Flag of Russia.svg  Sergey Karjakin  (RUS)276000001Does not appear11

Classical results

NoPlayerRating123456PointsSB
1Flag of India.svg  Viswanathan Anand  (IND)2797Does not appear21112716.5
2Flag of the United States.svg  Hikaru Nakamura  (USA)27760Does not appear1221612.5
3Flag of Russia.svg  Vladimir Kramnik  (RUS)278311Does not appear111512.5
4Flag of Russia.svg  Sergey Karjakin  (RUS)2760101Does not appear11410
5Flag of Italy.svg  Fabiano Caruana  (ITA)28111011Does not appear1410
6Flag of Armenia.svg  Levon Aronian  (ARM)277701111Does not appear49.5

Rapid results

NoPlayerRapid rating123456PointsSB
1Flag of Russia.svg  Vladimir Kramnik  (RUS)2783Does not appear110½13.57.75
2Flag of Armenia.svg  Levon Aronian  (ARM)27770Does not appear½11½36.25
3Flag of the United States.svg  Hikaru Nakamura  (USA)27760½Does not appear½1136
4Flag of Russia.svg  Sergey Karjakin  (RUS)276010½Does not appear½026
5Flag of India.svg  Viswanathan Anand  (IND)2797½00½Does not appear124.25
6Flag of Italy.svg  Fabiano Caruana  (ITA)28110½010Does not appear1.52.5

Tiebreak

After the games Nakamura and Anand were the leaders with 9 point. An armageddon tiebreak game between the two tied leaders, Anand and Nakamura. White was given five minutes, black four. White had to win in order to win the tournament. Hikaru Nakamura won as black making him the winner of the tournament. [12]

Combined final results

The combined final score for the tournament was calculated by scoring each game in the classical competition on a 2–1–0 basis and each game in the rapid competition on a 1–½–0 basis.

NoPlayerPoints
1Flag of the United States.svg  Hikaru Nakamura  (USA)9.0
2Flag of India.svg  Viswanathan Anand  (IND)9.0
3Flag of Russia.svg  Vladimir Kramnik  (RUS)8.5
4Flag of Armenia.svg  Levon Aronian  (ARM)7.0
5Flag of Russia.svg  Sergey Karjakin  (RUS)6.0
6Flag of Italy.svg  Fabiano Caruana  (ITA)5.5

Zurich Chess Challenge 2016

In the 2016 tournament, held from 12–15 February 2016, starting on a Friday and already ending on the following Monday, players were awarded two points for a win and one point for a draw in the rapid section, and one point for a win and half a point for a draw in the blitz section. No classical chess was played. Hikaru Nakamura won the blitz section on tiebreaks and tied with Viswanathan Anand in the rapid section. Nakamura won the overall event. [13]

The tournament was also held alongside a match between Alexander Morozevich and Boris Gelfand.

Rapid results

NoPlayerRapid rating123456PointsSB
1Flag of India.svg  Viswanathan Anand  (IND)2777Does not appear11212715
2Flag of the United States.svg  Hikaru Nakamura  (USA)28421Does not appear1221715
3Flag of Russia.svg  Vladimir Kramnik  (RUS)279311Does not appear112613.5
4Flag of Armenia.svg  Levon Aronian  (ARM)2746001Does not appear2147.5
5Flag of Latvia.svg  Alexei Shirov  (LAT)26821010Does not appear138
6Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Anish Giri  (NED)275601011Does not appear37

Blitz results

NoPlayerBlitz rating123456PointsSB
1Flag of the United States.svg  Hikaru Nakamura  (USA)2884Does not appear½½11½3.57.75
2Flag of India.svg  Viswanathan Anand  (IND)2764½Does not appear½½113.56.75
3Flag of Russia.svg  Vladimir Kramnik  (RUS)2817½½Does not appear½113.56.75
4Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Anish Giri  (NED)27930½½Does not appear½12.54.75
5Flag of Armenia.svg  Levon Aronian  (ARM)2814000½Does not appear11.51.75
6Flag of Latvia.svg  Alexei Shirov  (LAT)2682½0000Does not appear0.51.75

Combined final results

NoPlayerPointsSB
1Flag of the United States.svg  Hikaru Nakamura  (USA)10.522.75
2Flag of India.svg  Viswanathan Anand  (IND)10.521.75
3Flag of Russia.svg  Vladimir Kramnik  (RUS)9.520.25
4Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Anish Giri  (NED)5.511.75
5Flag of Armenia.svg  Levon Aronian  (ARM)5.59.25
6Flag of Latvia.svg  Alexei Shirov  (LAT)3.59.75

Exhibition match results

A two-game exhibition match was played between Alexander Morozevich and Boris Gelfand, in the same time control as the rapid portion of the main tournament. Boris Gelfand won the mini-match.

PlayerRapid rating12Points
1Flag of Israel.svg  Boris Gelfand  (ISR)2735½11½
2Flag of Russia.svg  Alexander Morozevich  (RUS)2683½0½

Zurich Chess Challenge 2017

Hikaru Nakamura won the tournament by winning the blitz tournament half a point ahead of the Viswanathan Anand and a full point ahead of Ian Nepomniachtchi. [14]

Rapid result

NoPlayerRapid rating12345678Points
1Flag of the United States.svg  Hikaru Nakamura  (USA)2793Does not appear211022210
2Flag of Russia.svg  Ian Nepomniachtchi  (RUS)27510Does not appear21122210
3Flag of India.svg  Viswanathan Anand  (IND)278610Does not appear022229
4Flag of Russia.svg  Vladimir Kramnik  (RUS)2811112Does not appear11118
5Flag of Russia.svg  Peter Svidler  (RUS)27472101Does not appear1128
6Flag of Israel.svg  Boris Gelfand  (ISR)272400011Does not appear215
7Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Yannick Pelletier  (SUI)2541000110Does not appear13
8Flag of Russia.svg  Grigoriy Oparin  (RUS)26040001011Does not appear3

Blitz result

NoPlayerBlitz rating12345678Points
1Flag of the United States.svg  Hikaru Nakamura  (USA)2793Does not appear½½½½1115
2Flag of India.svg  Viswanathan Anand  (IND)2786½Does not appear½½1½½14½
3Flag of Russia.svg  Ian Nepomniachtchi  (RUS)2751½½Does not appear½½1014
4Flag of Russia.svg  Peter Svidler  (RUS)2747½½½Does not appear½0114
5Flag of Israel.svg  Boris Gelfand  (ISR)2724½0½½Does not appear1½14
6Flag of Russia.svg  Vladimir Kramnik  (RUS)28110½010Does not appear1½3
7Flag of Russia.svg  Grigoriy Oparin  (RUS)26040½10½0Does not appear½2½
8Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Yannick Pelletier  (SUI)254100000½½Does not appear1

Combined final results

NoPlayerRatingPoints
1Flag of the United States.svg  Hikaru Nakamura  (USA)279315.0
2Flag of Russia.svg  Ian Nepomniachtchi  (RUS)275114.0
3Flag of India.svg  Viswanathan Anand  (IND)278613.5
4Flag of Russia.svg  Peter Svidler  (RUS)274712.0
5Flag of Russia.svg  Vladimir Kramnik  (RUS)281111.0
6Flag of Israel.svg  Boris Gelfand  (ISR)27249.0
7Flag of Russia.svg  Grigoriy Oparin  (RUS)26045.5
8Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Yannick Pelletier  (SUI)25414.0

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Zurich Challenge with new time controls". ChessBase. 2 November 2015. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  2. ↑ "Zurich Chess Challenge: Kramnik vs. Aronian". FIDE. 10 February 2012. Archived from the original on 9 October 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  3. ↑ "Матч Аронян - Крамник. Zurich Chess Challenge 2012". crestbook.com (in Russian). Crestbook. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  4. ↑ ChessDom: Fabiano Caruana wins Zurich Chess Challenge 2013
  5. ↑ ChessVibes: Caruana wins Zurich Chess Challenge, Anand second Archived May 13, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ "ChessNews: Caruana Wins Zurich Chess Challenge". Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  7. ↑ Ramirez, Alejandro (29 January 2014). "Zurich 2014 a few hours away". ChessBase. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  8. ↑ ChessDom: Zurich Chess Challenge 2014
  9. ↑ The Week in Chess: Zurich Chess Challenge 2014
  10. ↑ "Zurich Chess Challenge 2015 Announced, Carlsen Not Playing". chess.com. 22 September 2014. Archived from the original on 25 September 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  11. ↑ "Official website "ZURICH CHESS CHALLENGE 2015"". Archived from the original on 5 November 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  12. ↑ "Official website". Archived from the original on 11 May 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  13. ↑ "Standings". Zurich Chess Challenge 2016. 15 February 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  14. ↑ "All good things come in three - Nakamura is king again".
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