

The FIDE Grand Prix, as planned and announced on the Grand
Prix web site, was envisioned as "a series of six tournaments held
over two years (2008-2009) in leading world cities." Each tournament has
14 players and lasts seventeen days. The months allocated for the organisation
of the Grand Prix tournaments are April, August and December of each respective
year. These months were selected to ensure there is no conflict with any other
major event.
According to the new FIDE
World Championship cycle the winner of the Grand Prix series at the end
of 2009 was scheduled play the winner of the World Cup that is currently being
played in Khanty-Mansiysk
(as is still stated on the FIDE Grand Prix web site given above). However that
was changed in November last year when FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov announced
that there would be a Candidates Tournament in the spring of 2010, with eight
players: the winners of the World Cup and the Grand Prix, the loser of the Topalov-Kamsky
challenger match (i.e. Kamsky), and the runner-up in the World Championship
match Anand-Topalov, the highest-rated players (out of those not otherwise qualified)
and also a nominee of the host country of the Candidates Tournament (providing
that his rating is not less than 2700).
So where is the sixth Grand Prix?
Despite the Cassandra predictions of many chess experts, and venue changes
as sponsorship deals broke down, FIDE did manage to successfully stage five
of the planned Grand Prix tournaments, and now, we are told by insiders, is
in the process of signing up for the sixth and final tournament of the 2008/2009
cycle. So everything is in good order – except, so far, the bit about
"leading world cities." On the other hand we have been treated to
some excellent geography lessons with the previous editions (see links at the
bottom of this page).
Now before you whip out your Google – that destroyer of all puzzles and
quizzes – you may want to try an guess where the sixth Grand Prix will
take place. We supply you with all the information, tools (naturally by Google)
and hints you will need to find the city. The solution is out there staring
you in the face – tugging at your mouse!
We start with a map showing the location of the previous five Grand Prixs.
They are all in a relatively small area of the world, as you can see if you
zoom out of the first of the two live Google maps we give below.
To make your research easier here is a map with all the chess events in recent
years:
We have marked off twenty-two hotspots on the map, which you can find by moving
your mouse cursor over it. Each is linked to a memorable event or story linked
to the town.
Below are two Google maps that will help you on your mission to find the location
of the sixth FIDE Grand Prix – either in the vicinity of the first five
or on the surface of our planet. You can zoom in and out with the control buttons
on the top left, or grab the map with your left mouse key to move it around
in the window. If you get really serious about things click on the "view
larger map" link below each map to open it in full size in a new window.
You may want to extend your search to encompass the entire planet:
Previous Grand Prix tournaments

|
First FIDE Grand Prix in Baku, Azerbaijan
19.04.2008 – The first of a series of FIDE Grand
Prix tournaments begins on Sunday, with 14 players, including Magnus Carlsen,
Shak Mamedyarov, Teimour Radjabov, Peter Svidler, Sergey Karjakin, Michael
Adams, Gata Kamsky and Alexander Grischuk. The winner of the series at
the end of 2009 will play the winner of the World Cup for the right to
challenge the world champion. All
reports. |

|
FIDE Grand Prix in Sochi begins – Grischuk, Radjabov
win
01.08.2008 – The Second FIDE Grand Prix Tournament
is taking place in the Russian Black Sea resort city of Sochi, from July
30 to August 15, 2008, with 14 players from ten different countries. The
field is dominated by Ukrainian GM Vassily Ivanchuk, who is 37 points
ahead of the next highest ranked player in the field. In round one it
was Alexander Grischuk and Teimour Radjabov who scored. All
reports. |

|
Elista Grand Prix starts, with wins by Jakovenko and
Gashimov
14.12.2008 – Originally scheduled
for Doha in Qatar, the third FIDE Grand Prix had to be hurriedly moved
to Elista, Kalmykia, causing a number of withdrawals. Still, it is a category
19 event, which started with a colorful opening ceremony and two decisive
games, one of which ended an 82-game unbeaten streak by the Chinese GM
Wang Yue. Playchess.com is broadcasting
the games live. All
reports. |

|
Fourth FIDE Grand Prix in Nalchik
25.03.2009 – The fourth FIDE Grand Prix Series
Tournament will be held from April 14th to 29th, 2009, in the Intour Hotel
Sindica in Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia. The fourteen participants
include Ivanchuk, Aronian, Mamedyarov, Leko, Kamsky, Svidler, Karjakin
and Grischuk. Average rating: around 2725 points. The total prize fund
is 162,000 Euros. Full details in this All
reports . |

|
FIDE Grand Prix in Jermuk has started
10.08.2009 – The fifth FIDE Grand Prix Series
Tournament is being held from August 9 to 23, 2009, in the Armenian health
resort of Jermuk and is dedicated to World Champion Tigran Petrosian,
who would have turned eighty this year. You can watch the games on the
excellent official web site or on Playchess.com.
In the first round of the event Peter Leko and Ivan Cheparinov scored
wins. All
reports. |
FIDE Grand Prix 2008-2009 standings
No |
Player |
Nat. |
Baku |
Sochi |
Elista |
Nalchik |
Jermuk |
no. |
Total |
1 |
Aronian |
ARM |
|
180.0 |
|
180.0 |
140.0 |
3 |
500.0 |
2 |
Radjabov |
AZE |
60.0 |
150.0 |
153.3 |
|
|
3 |
363.3 |
3 |
Grischuk |
RUS |
105.0 |
45.0 |
153.3 |
105.0 |
|
4 |
363.3 |
4 |
Wang Yue |
CHN |
153.3 |
120.0 |
80.0 |
|
|
3 |
353.3 |
5 |
Gashimov |
AZE |
153.3 |
65.0 |
110.0 |
|
|
3 |
328.3 |
6 |
Leko |
HUN |
|
|
80.0 |
140.0 |
100.0 |
3 |
320.0 |
7 |
Jakovenko |
RUS |
|
90.0 |
153.3 |
|
35.0 |
3 |
278.3 |
8 |
Ivanchuk |
UKR |
|
65.0 |
|
20.0 |
180.0 |
3 |
265.0 |
9 |
Gelfand |
ISR |
|
30.0 |
|
85.0 |
140.0 |
3 |
255.0 |
10 |
Mamedyarov |
AZE |
105.0 |
|
80.0 |
55.0 |
|
3 |
240.0 |
11 |
Bacrot |
FRA |
15.0 |
|
80.0 |
105.0 |
55.0 |
4 |
240.0 |
12 |
Kamsky |
USA |
60.0 |
120.0 |
|
55.0 |
55.0 |
4 |
235.0 |
13 |
Svidler |
RUS |
85.0 |
90.0 |
|
55.0 |
|
3 |
230.0 |
14 |
Karjakin |
UKR |
60.0 |
90.0 |
|
55.0 |
80.0 |
4 |
230.0 |
15 |
Alekseev |
RUS |
|
|
35.0 |
85.0 |
100.0 |
3 |
220.0 |
16 |
Kasimdzhanov |
UZB |
|
|
80.0 |
20.0 |
100.0 |
3 |
200.0 |
17 |
Akopian |
ARM |
|
|
15.0 |
140.0 |
35.0 |
3 |
190.0 |
18 |
Cheparinov |
BUL |
35.0 |
45.0 |
50.0 |
|
10.0 |
4 |
130.0 |
19 |
Eljanov |
UKR |
|
|
35.0 |
20.0 |
70.0 |
3 |
125.0 |
20 |
Inarkiev |
RUS |
15.0 |
|
15.0 |
|
20.0 |
3 |
50.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Navara |
CZE |
35.0 |
15.0 |
excl. |
|
|
2 |
|
|
Carlsen |
NOR |
153.3 |
|
withdrew |
|
|
1 |
|
|
Adams |
ENG |
85.0 |
|
withdrew |
|
|
1 |
|
|
Al-Modiahki |
QAT |
|
15.0 |
excl. |
|
|
1 |
|
|
Pelletier |
SUI |
|
|
excl. |
|
|
0 |
|