About the Event

Chess History in the Making — the 2024 Candidates

The Candidates Tournament in chess is second only to the match for the title of World Champion. It is the final stepping stone in an inevitable path every chess player has to cross if they want to get a chance for the world crown to be bestowed on their head.

Now, a new chapter in chess history will be written in Toronto, Canada, as some of the strongest world players gather to decide amongst themselves who will be the next Challenger for the title of World Champion.

This, the most important tournament of the year, will be held from April 2 — 23 in Toronto’s Great Hall, a historical venue which has hosted events for more than 125 years.

This will be the first time in the seven decades-long history of the Candidates that it will be held in North America.

Also, for the first time, both the Open and the Women’s Candidates will take place in the same place at the same time

Altogether, 16 top-world players — eight in the Open and eight in the Women’s event — will engage in a double round-robin tournament spanning 14 rounds.

The Open section will witness an eclectic mix of talent and experience from across the globe, including the two-time Candidate (from 2021 and 2022), Ian Nepomniachtchi, the 2018 Candidate from the US, Fabiano Caruana, his compatriot and one of the world's top Blitz players Hikaru Nakamura, India’s hopes Vidit Gujrathi, R Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh D, as well as naturalised Frenchman Alireza Firouzja and Nijat Abasov from Azerbaijan.

In the Women’s tournament, the eight players fighting for the title include the former women’s World Champion Tan Zhongyi as well as five former Challengers — Lei Tingjie, Kateryna Lagno, Aleksandra Goryachkina, Anna Muzychuk, and Koneru Humpy. They are joined by two rising women’s chess stars — Nurgyul Salimova and Vaishali Rameshbabu.

The winner of the Open section will challenge the reigning World Champion, Ding Liren, while the winner of the Women’s tournament will take on the Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun.

The total prize fund for the event is 750,000 euros (820,000 US dollars), with 500,000 for the Open and 250,000 for the Women’s Candidates.

As the time approaches for the chess elite to converge upon Toronto, the air thickens with anticipation, and the hallowed halls of the Great Hall are poised to become the battleground for a chess spectacle of grand proportions.

Open Candidates Tournament Information:

Time control: 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment per move starting from move 41.

Prizes: 48,000 euros for the winner, 36,000 euros for the second place, and 24,000 euros for the third place. Additionally, players receive 3,500 euros for every half-point scored.

Women's Candidates Tournament Information:

Time control: 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment per move starting from move 1.

Prizes: 24,000 euros for the winner, 18,000 euros for the second place, and 12,000 euros for the third place. Additionally, players receive 1,750 euros for every half-point scored.