Qualifying for 2022 Candidates

[Mick Norris]

FIDE

C) Two spots – FIDE World Cup 2021

Two spots will be decided at the FIDE World Cup 2021, to be played in Sochi (Russia), in July-August 2021. The two finalists in this event will earn their tickets to the Candidates 2022.

It may happen that Teimour Radjabov or any of the two contenders in the 2021 match (Magnus Carlsen or Ian Nepomniachtchi) are in the final. In this case, the place will be passed on to the next non-qualified player in the FIDE World Cup (but not further than 4th place) or to the next non-qualified player in the FIDE Grand Prix Series 2022.

If Karjakin doesn't play, the World Cup place passes down to Fedoseev, who lost the 3rd place playoff to Magnus

Failing Fedoseev (a Russian I'm not sure has commented on current events FWIW), it would open up a 3rd spot in the GP (which is the same if Nepo doesn't play)

EDIT appears this doesn't apply now

[LawrenceCooper]

https://www.fide.com/news/1650

[Mick Norris]

I think the replacement comes from the Rating list

Ding would need to get to 30 standard play games though

[Roger de Coverly]

I think FIDE and Spain could find a way to facilitate Nepo' (who has made anti-war noises) and bar Karjakin if they really wanted to

The FIDE Ethics commission has done the business.
https://www.fide.com/news/1650

[Mick Norris]

https://www.fide.com/news/1650

Pete Doggers

Karjakin missing out on the FIDE Candidates Tournament (June 16-July 7, 2022 in Madrid, Spain) is an unexpected but distant chance for world number three GM Ding Liren, who could not play in the FIDE Grand Prix due to visa issues and therefore couldn't qualify for the Candidates. The regulations (here in PDF) state the following:

2.3 If any replacement is needed, the highest-rated player in the FIDE May 2022 standard rating list shall be invited, provided he/she has at least 30 standard games rated in the FIDE rating lists from June 2021 to May 2022.

However, the problem for Ding is that he has only played four rated games in this period and so he would need to play 26 more games before May.

[Mick Norris]

chess.com The Final 3: Who Will Qualify For The Candidates 2022?

Our goal here is to outline the more realistic scenarios for each player to reach the Candidates.

Even that gets pretty complicated, but it'll bring you to a better understanding of all the implications of the event as it unfolds.

[Mick Norris]

news of Ding

The Candidates dream is alive for Ding Liren, who's going to play 12 of the 26 games he needs to play to be eligible in the next 8 days

[Leonard Barden]

GUARDIAN ARTICLE UPDATE-DING'S CANDIDATES BID IS ON! Sunday morning 27 March, and a four-player quadruple round GM tournament has just started in Hangzhou with Ding and three others. https://chess24.com/en/watch/live-tourn ... 2022/1/1/1 This will produce 12 Fide-rated games for Ding, and will be followed by a six-game match with China's No2 Wei Yi, leaving just eight games to go for Ding to qualify for the 2022 Candidates at Madrid in June.

[Leonard Barden]

Ding now has 3/3 in the GM quadrangular (they play alternately one game a day and two games a day) and as a result has jumped back to world No2 in the live ratings ahead of Firouzja.
https://www.2700chess.com/

[Mick Norris]

Rapport & Nakamura qualify from the GP to join Radjabov, Duda, Firouzja, Caruana & (assuming he can get to Madrid) Nepo

Ding looks likely to manage to play the necessary number of games before May to replace Karjakin (next on rating list is Aronian closely followed by So)

[Matt Mackenzie]

Ding in for Karjakin will be a popular replacement, no doubt about that.

[Paul Cooksey]

I'd like to see all the worlds strongest players in the candidates, no doubt Ding enhances the event. But also good to see someone who has been the victim of bad luck getting an opportunity.

[Mick Norris]

I'm more interested in whether you will be reporting from Madrid?

Probably as easy for you to get there as it is for me

FIDE with pictures of the venue; anyone been?

The magnificent Palacio de Santoña, a centrally located historic building in Madrid, will become the venue of the most anticipated chess tournament of 2022. Built in 1730, this mansion boasts of distinguished carved granite baroque façade and is home to one of the most refined eclectic interiors in the Spanish capital. It is currently one of the headquarters of the Madrid Chamber of Commerce.

Eight prominent grandmasters will compete for a top spot in a double round-robin (all play all) tournament from 16 June to 6 July. The schedule includes four free days, one after every three rounds

[Chris Rice]

Ding Liren ends the Hangzhou tournament with 10.5/12 and a live rating of 2810.8. He finished six points clear of the remaining three players, none of whom I had ever heard of or who won a game. I think that Ding deserves to be in the Candidates no doubt about that but this tournament set up by the Chinese, with Chinese only participants to ensure a qualification for the World Championship cycle have to be wrong in principle.

[Mick Norris]

Ding Liren ends the Hangzhou tournament with 10.5/12 and a live rating of 2810.8. He finished six points clear of the remaining three players, none of whom I had ever heard of or who won a game. I think that Ding deserves to be in the Candidates no doubt about that but this tournament set up by the Chinese, with Chinese only participants to ensure a qualification for the World Championship cycle have to be wrong in principle.

I'd heard of Jinshi Bai, who drew with Esipenko, Predke and Fedoseev in Moscow at the Russia - China match in 2019

Ding has been denied the opportunity to play in the qualifiers (whether this is his fault in any way, I'm not sure); if he's now able to get to Madrid, then good luck to him in playing all the games necessary