12/13/2024 – The young Russian grandmaster Andrey Esipenko (photo) won the highly competitive Qatar Masters with 7½ points after 9 rounds of play. Second and third place were shared by Arjun Erigaisi and Nodirbek Abdusattorov, each with 7 points. Arjun missed the opportunity to overtake Fabiano Caruana in the FIDE Circuit. Whoever has the most FIDE Circuit points at the end of the year will qualify for the 2026 Candidates Tournament. | Photo: Anna Shtourman / Qatar Masters

12/12/2024 – On 3rd December the Qatar Masters 2024 started, a very strong 9 round Swiss. Over 40 grandmasters are taking part, top seeded is Indian grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi. Nodirbek Abdusattorov is second seeded, Parham Maghsoodloo third. Apart from prizes and prestige, Erigaisi and Abdusattorov will also be fighting for FIDE Circuit points - the winner of the 2024 FIDE Circuit will qualify for the 2026 Candidates. Follow the last round live with commentary.