Pairings for Candidates Tournament Published

It is exactly one month before the event that will determine the challenger to World Champion Magnus Carlsen, and it will be held in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. FIDE has determined the pairings by random draw in its office in Athens, and the stage is now set for the players to prepare their tournament strategies. The event is a double round robin so none of the participants will receive the advantage of having an extra white, but the order of the opponents can influence on how they play depending on style, color and tournament position.

Important to note is that there is a special clause in the tournament, which made the pairings not completely random, but technically more fair:

3.1 Tournament Format & System
The 8 players shall play a double round robin tournament (14 rounds). The players who are from the same federation will play each other in rounds 1 and 8 (if only two) and if up to four players are from the same federation in rounds 1, 2, 3 and 8, 9, 10.

Some additional important rules:

3.5 Time control.
The time control for each game shall be: 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, 60 minutes for the next 20 moves and then 15 minutes for the rest of the game plus an additional 30 seconds per move starting from move 61.

3.7 Tiebreaks
If the top two or more players score the same points, the tie will be decided by the following criteria, in order of priority:
a) The results of the games between the players involved in the tie. If they are still tied:
b) The total number of wins in the tournament of every player involved in the tie. If they are still tied:
c) Sonneborn-Berger System.

Let's not forget that tiebreaks are of vital importance and they played a huge role in last year's final game as Kramnik was inching in on Carlsen but had the worse tiebreak.

There are further rules in case the tournament is still tied after that, but it is highly unlikely that such a thing would happen.

3.8 Prizes for the Candidates Tournament
The total minimum prize fund of the Candidates Tournament amounts to 420,000 euros. The amount is net and cleared of any local taxes. All prize money will be divided equally where players have the same score in the tournament (after 14 rounds). The money prizes and stipends to be paid to the Principals of the WCC Candidates Tournament are as follows:

3.9 Playing Conditions
Only the players, principals and steward(-ess)s shall be allowed in the actual playing area except with the permission of the Chief Arbiter. A player may communicate with an arbiter or a steward. During the playing session the following additional regulations shall be in force:

1. The players are not permitted to bring into the playing area telephone, technical and other equipment extraneous to play, which may in any way disturb or upset the opponent. The Chief Arbiter shall decide what constitutes extraneous equipment liable to offend the opponent.
2. The players cannot draw a game by agreement before Black’s 30th move. A claim for a draw before Black’s 30th move is permitted only through the Chief Arbiter (or his Deputy) in the cases of perpetual check or threefold repetition.
3. During the playing session, a player may leave the playing area only with the permission of the Chief Arbiter and only if he is accompanied by one of the arbiters.

Pairings

Round 1 - March 13, 2014

Round 2 - March 14, 2014

Round 3 - March 15, 2014

Round 4 - March 17, 2014

Round 5 - March 18, 2014

Round 6 - March 19, 2014

Round 7 - March 21, 2014

Round 8 - March 22, 2014

Round 9 - March 23, 2014

Round 10 - March 25, 2014

Round 11 - March 26, 2014

Round 12 - March 27, 2014

Round 13 - March 29, 2014

Round 14 - March 30, 2014