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The fourth event of the 2024 CCT

Information provided by chess.com

The stage is set for the Julius Baer Generation Cup, the fourth and final online leg of the 2024 Champions Chess Tour. Starting on September 25, this thrilling event will feature a $300,000 prize fund, offering the world’s top chess players one last opportunity to secure their place in the CCT Finals.

As the tour progresses toward the finals, all eyes are on the Julius Baer Generation Cup. GMs Magnus Carlsen, Alireza Firouzja, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave have already secured their spots in the finals, but several more places remain up for grabs. Players can qualify by either winning this event or by finishing among the top performers on the CCT Leaderboard. With 100 CCT points available, every game counts, and anything can happen.

Joining the event in Division I are Vachier-Lagrave and Firouzja, the winner and runner-up of the last CCT event, along with Division II winner GM Alexander Grischuk.

Other confirmed players are GMs Ian Nepomniachtchi, Carlsen, Vidit Gujrathi, and Arjun Erigaisi. These players will all bypass the Play-ins and head straight into the Division I Placement stage, setting up a high-stakes competition for this last online leg of the CCT.

This fourth leg of the Champions Chess Tour follows the Julius Baer Women's Speed Chess Championship, which concluded on September 5, with GM Ju Wenjun taking the title. The event featured many of the strongest women in chess, further highlighting Julius Baer's commitment to elevating diverse talent and fostering a more inclusive chess world.

Find here more information about the event and Julius Baer International...

Format

Champions Chess Tour Format

The CCT features four online events and live, in-person Finals. The winner of the CCT Finals becomes the Champions Chess Tour champion. Players can qualify for the CCT Finals by winning the online events or through the CCT Leaderboard, described later.

Julius Baer Generation Cup Format

The 2024 Julius Baer Generation Cup consists of three phases: Play-in, Division Placement, and Division Play.

Play-In Format (Day 1)

Grandmasters and qualified players compete to get a favorable placement in the Division Placement phase. Players' results in the Play-in determine how high they can go and how easy it is for them to make it to a better division.

• Nine-round Swiss
• The time control is 10+2
• The top 69 players earn a spot in the Division Placement phase

Division Placement Format (Day 2)

In the Division Placement phase, the 69 players who made it from the Play-in join the four pre-seated players. The pre-seated players are determined based on the results of the last CCT event (AI Cup). Players compete to get to the highest division possible.

• The Division Placement phase consists of two rounds, the first being a two-game match and the second a four-game match.
• Players who lose a match get bumped down to a lower division in Division Play (Division Placement III players get eliminated).
• Players who win all their Division Placement matches play in the equivalent division during Division Play.
• The time control is 10+2.
• A bidding armageddon game decides the winner if any match ends in a tie.

Division Play Format (Days 3-8)

Players compete for prize money, promotion to a higher division in the next CCT event, and a spot at the CCT Finals.

• Double-elimination brackets.
  • Division I: eight players.
  • Division II: 16 players.
  • Division III: 32 players.
• Winner Bracket matches consist of four games.
• Losers Bracket matches consist of two games.
• Grand Final Reset match (if needed) consists of two games.
• The time control is 10+2.
• A bidding armageddon game decides the winner if any match ends in a tie.

Links

• Official website
• Four ‘regular’ events and a grand finale in this year’s Champions Chess Tour
• Carlsen beats resilient Firouzja, wins Chessable Masters
• Firouzja takes down Carlsen to win Chess.com Classic
• Vachier-Lagrave beats Firouzja in Armageddon, bags CrunchLabs Masters