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The Bilbao Chess Grand Slam Masters Final 2016 will take place between the 20th and 30th July, its organizing committee has announced today.
The ninth edition of Masters Final has been brought forward from its usual date in the calendar of the most important international chess events, making way for November’s clash in the World Championship Match between the current champion, Magnus Carlsen, and the winner of the Candidates Tournament which will begin on the 11th March in Moscow.
Ready for a challenge: World Champion Magnus Carlsen
As well as the earlier staging of the event, the Bilbao Masters Final 2016 also has other changes, such as the return to its traditional format of six competitors.
The organizers of what is now one of the most prestigious tournaments in the chess calendar are currently negotiating the participation of six of the top ten world grand masters. When this powerful line-up is confirmed, the Bilbao Final will maintain its standing as one of the main reference points in world chess for another year.
In fact both Magnus Carlsen from Norway and Viswanathan Anand from India – current world champion and runner up respectively – have committed themselves to participating.
Vishy Anand with Spanish chess journalist Leontxo Garcia
Along with them, Hikaru Nakamura from the United States has also confirmed his presence in this prestigious tournament in Bilbao.
Hikaru Nakamura
The American of Philippine origin, Wesley So, is the current holder of the title, achieving the honor at the 2015 edition after a dramatic tiebreak against the Dutchman Anish Giri.
Wesley So (Photo: Alina l'Ami)
Anish Giri (Photo: Dutch Chess Federation)
The organization of the Masters Final is also working on the design of an open international tournament to take place at the same time at the end of July. They are expecting the presence of grand masters and international masters from numerous countries, given both the amount of prize money to be played for and the attraction of Bilbao as one of main capitals of world chess.
Press Office Chess Grand Slam Masters Final
