# Grand Chess Tour 2016

Grand Chess Tour 2016 was a second edition of Grand Chess Tour, a series of chess tournaments, that took place from June to December 2016. It consisted of four tournaments and was won by Wesley So.
On January 6, 2016, the Grand Chess Tour saw the withdrawal of Norway Chess, one of three tournaments that were parts of the tour, along with Sinquefield Cup and London Chess Classic. The reason was different views on the funding issue. However, on February 11, Grand Chess Tour announced an inclusion of two fast chess events in Paris and Leuven.

## Format

The tour consisted of four events, two fast chess and two classical chess events, with each tournament having one wildcard. Eegular tour players were scheduled to participate in every event, with the exception of Viswanathan Anand, with three best results going into account. The point system was as follows:
    PlacePoints 1st12/13* 2nd10 3rd8 4th7  5th6  6th5  7th4 8th3  9th2 10th1

## Lineup

2016 Grand Chess Tour included nine participants. Among notable absentees were incumbent World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen and World Chess Championship 2016 challenger Sergey Karjakin. The roster was selected based on several criteria, including top-three finish in previous tour, average rating for 2015 and personal invitation.
| Player | Country | Rating (April 2016) | Qualification |
| Anish Giri | Netherlands | 2790 | Runner-up of 2015 Grand Chess Tour |
| Levon Aronian | Armenia | 2784 | Third place in 2015 Grand Chess Tour |
| Veselin Topalov | Bulgaria | 2754 | Average rating for 2015 |
| Viswanathan Anand | India | 2770 | Average rating for 2015 |
| Fabiano Caruana | United States | 2795 | Average rating for 2015 |
| Hikaru Nakamura | United States | 2787 | Average rating for 2015 |
| Vladimir Kramnik | Russia | 2801 | Average rating for 2015 |
| Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | France | 2788 | Wildcard |
| Wesley So | United States | 2773 | Replacement for Magnus Carlsen |

## Schedule and results

| Dates | Tournament | Host city | Winner |
| June 9-12 | Paris Grand Chess Tour | Paris | Hikaru Nakamura |
| June 17-20 | Your Next Move | Leuven | Magnus Carlsen (WC) |
| August 5-16 | Sinquefield Cup | St. Louis | Wesley So |
| December 9-18 | London Chess Classic | London | Wesley So |

## Tournaments
### Paris Grand Chess Tour

Paris Grand Chess Tour was the first event of 2016 edition, which was won by Hikaru Nakamura. Viswanathan Anand declined his invitation due to him playing in tournament in León, Spain on the same time, and thus, Laurent Fressinet was given the additional wildcard.
    2016 Paris GCT, June 9–12 Paris, France PlayerRapidBlitzTotalTBTour PointsPrize money 1 Hikaru Nakamura (USA)1411½25½13$37,500 2 Magnus Carlsen (NOR)1311½24½ WC (10)$30,000 3 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)1111228$15,000 4 Wesley So (USA)118½19½7$15,000 5 Levon Aronian (ARM)910196$15,000 6 Anish Giri (NED)99185$7,500 7 Vladimir Kramnik (RUS)105½15½4$7,500 8 Fabiano Caruana (USA)410143$7,500 9 Veselin Topalov (BUL)48122$7,500 10 Laurent Fressinet (FRA)5510WC (1)$7,500
    Paris GCT Rapid, June 9-10 PlayerRating12345678910Points 1 Hikaru Nakamura (USA)2846Does not appear11211222214 2 Magnus Carlsen (NOR)28781Does not appear0221212213 3 Wesley So (USA)265212Does not appear011221111 4 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)2784002Does not appear21112211 5 Vladimir Kramnik (RUS)27991010Does not appear1122210 6 Anish Giri (NED)273811111Does not appear12019 7 Levon Aronian (ARM)2739000111Does not appear2229 8 Laurent Fressinet (FRA)26950101000Does not appear125 9 Veselin Topalov (BUL)277100100201Does not appear04 10 Fabiano Caruana (USA)2829001001002Does not appear4
    Paris GCT Blitz, June 11-12 PlayerRating12345678910Points 1 Magnus Carlsen (NOR)2915Does not appear1 1½ ½½ 01 01 0½ 1½ 01 11 111½ 2 Hikaru Nakamura (USA)28830 0Does not appear½ 01 ½½ ½1 11 ½1 ½½ 11 111½ 3 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)2871½ ½½ 1Does not appear1 1½ 1½ ½½ ½0 ½0 11 ½10½ 4 Fabiano Caruana (USA)2665½ 10 ½0 0Does not appear0 01 01 01 11 11 110 5 Levon Aronian (ARM)27980 1½ ½½ 01 1Does not appear½ ½½ ½1 ½½ ½½ ½10 6 Anish Giri (NED)28220 10 0½ ½0 1½ ½Does not appear½ 01 01 ½1 19 7 Wesley So (USA)2726½ 00 ½½ ½0 1½ ½½ 1Does not appear½ ½0 1½ ½8½ 8 Veselin Topalov (BUL)2644½ 10 ½1 ½0 00 ½0 1½ ½Does not appear½ 10 ½8 9 Vladimir Kramnik (RUS)28410 0½ 01 00 0½ ½0 ½1 0½ 0Does not appear1 05½ 10 Laurent Fressinet (FRA)26300 00 00 ½0 0½ ½0 0½ ½1 ½0 1Does not appear5

### Your Next Move

    2016 Your Next Move GCT, June 17–20 Leuven, Belgium PlayerRapidBlitzTotalTBTour PointsPrize money 1 Magnus Carlsen (NOR)121123WC (13)$37,500 2 Wesley So (USA)119½20½10$30,000 3 Levon Aronian (ARM)1010208$15,000 4 Viswanathan Anand (IND)109½19½7$15,000 5 Fabiano Caruana (USA)98½17½6$15,000 6 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)89175$7,500 7 Hikaru Nakamura (USA)79½16½4$7,500 8 Vladimir Kramnik (RUS)79162.5$7,500 9 Anish Giri (NED)88162.5$7,500 10 Veselin Topalov (BUL)85½13½1$7,500
    Leuven GCT Rapid, June 17–18 PlayerRating12345678910Points 1 Magnus Carlsen (NOR)2878Does not appear12201220212 2 Wesley So (USA)26521Does not appear1121121111 3 Viswanathan Anand (IND)279501Does not appear112221010 4 Levon Aronian (ARM)2739011Does not appear21202110 5 Fabiano Caruana (USA)28292010Does not appear112029 6 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)278411011Does not appear01128 7 Anish Giri (NED)2738010012Does not appear1218 8 Veselin Topalov (BUL)27710002011Does not appear228 9 Hikaru Nakamura (USA)284621102100Does not appear07 10 Vladimir Kramnik (RUS)2799012100102Does not appear7
    Leuven GCT Blitz, June 19–20 PlayerRating12345678910Points 1 Magnus Carlsen (NOR)2915Does not appear½ ½½ 1½ ½1 ½1 ½0 10 1½ 01 111 2 Levon Aronian (ARM)2798½ ½Does not appear½ 1½ ½1 ½0 ½½ ½1 0½ ½1 ½10 3 Viswanathan Anand (IND)2764½ 0½ 0Does not appear½ 1½ ½½ ½1 10 ½½ ½½ 19½ 4 Hikaru Nakamura (USA)2883½ ½½ ½½ 0Does not appear0 ½½ ½1 0½ 11 ½½ 19½ 5 Wesley So (USA)27260 ½0 ½½ ½1 ½Does not appear0 01 ½1 ½½ ½1 19½ 6 Vladimir Kramnik (RUS)28410 ½1 ½½ ½½ ½1 1Does not appear0 01 0½ 1½ 09 7 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)28711 0½ ½0 00 10 ½1 1Does not appear1 ½½ ½½ ½9 8 Fabiano Caruana (USA)26651 00 11 ½½ 00 ½0 10 ½Does not appear1 ½0 18½ 9 Anish Giri (NED)2822½ 1½ ½½ ½0 ½½ ½½ 0½ ½0 ½Does not appear0 18 10 Veselin Topalov (BUL)26440 00 ½½ 0½ 00 0½ 1½ ½1 01 0Does not appear6

### Sinquefield Cup

Vladimir Kramnik has withdrawn due to health issues and was replaced by Peter Svidler.
    4th Sinquefield Cup, 4–16 August 2016, St. Louis, Missouri, United States, Category XXII (2778.6) PlayerRating12345678910PointsTPRTour Points 1 Wesley So (USA)2771½1½½1½½½½5½285913 2 Levon Aronian (ARM)2792½Does not appear½½½10½1½528207.75 3 Veselin Topalov (BUL)27610½Does not appear½½½½11½528237.75 4 Viswanathan Anand (IND)2770½½½Does not appear½½1½½½528227.75 5 Fabiano Caruana (USA)2807½½½½Does not appear½½½½1528187.75 6 Hikaru Nakamura (USA)279100½½½Does not appear½1½14½27774.5 7 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)2819½1½0½½Does not appear½½½4½27744.5 8 Ding Liren (CHN)2755½½0½½0½Does not appear1½42738 WC (3) 9 Peter Svidler (RUS)2751½00½½½½0Does not appear13½2701WC (2) 10 Anish Giri (NED)2769½½½½00½½0Does not appear326541

### London Chess Classic

    8th London Chess Classic, 9–18 December 2016, London, England, Category XXII (2785) PlayerRating12345678910PointsTPRTour Points 1 Wesley So (USA)2794½1½½½½½116290913 2 Fabiano Caruana (USA)2823½Does not appear1½½½½½½15½286110 3 Hikaru Nakamura (USA)277900Does not appear1½½1½½1528297 4 Viswanathan Anand (IND)2779½½0Does not appear½½1½½1528297 5 Vladimir Kramnik (RUS)2809½½½½Does not appear½½½½1528267 6 Anish Giri (NED)2771½½½½½Does not appear½½½½4½27875 7 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)2804½½00½½Does not appear1½½427403 8 Levon Aronian (ARM)2785½½½½½½0Does not appear10427423 9 Michael Adams (ENG)27480½½½½½½0Does not appear142746 WC (3) 10 Veselin Topalov (BUL)276000000½½10Does not appear225681

## Standings

    Player Paris Leuven Sinquefield London Total pointsPrize money 1 Wesley So (United States)(7)10131336$295,000 2 Hikaru Nakamura (United States)13(4)4.5724.5$144,166 3 Fabiano Caruana (United States)(3)67.751023.75$108,750 T-4 Levon Aronian (Armenia)687.75(3)21.75$81,250 T-4 Viswanathan Anand (India)—77.75721.75$82,916 6 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France)854.5(3)17.5$55,000 7 Vladimir Kramnik (Russia)42.5—713.5$46,666 8 Anish Giri (Netherlands)52.5(1)512.5$50,000 9 Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria)2(1)7.75110.75$66,250  Magnus Carlsen (Norway)1013——23$67,500  Ding Liren (China)——3—3$15,000  Michael Adams (England)———33$15,000  Peter Svidler (Russia)——2—2$15,000  Laurent Fressinet (France)1———1$7,500