# Candidates Tournament

The Candidates Tournament (or in some periods Candidates Matches) is a chess tournament organized by FIDE, chess's international governing body, since 1950, as the final contest to determine the challenger for the World Chess Championship. The winner of the Candidates earns the right to a match for the World Championship against the incumbent world champion.
Before 1993 it was contested as a triennial tournament; almost always held every third year from 1950 to 1992 inclusive. After the split of the World Championship in the early 1990s, the cycles were disrupted, even after the reunification of the titles in 2006. Since 2013 it has settled into a 2-year cycle: qualification for Candidates during the odd numbered year, Candidates played early in the even numbered year, and the World Championship match played late in the even numbered year. The latter half of the 2020 Candidates Tournament was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was only played in April 2021. The next tournament, the 2022 Candidates Tournament, took place as scheduled in 2022.

## Precursors

Before 1950, the champion had the right to handpick a challenger. However, a number of tournaments acted as de facto candidates tournaments:
* The London 1883 chess tournament established Johannes Zukertort and Wilhelm Steinitz as the best two players in the world, and was one of the important events leading to the first official world championship match between the two, in 1886. Steinitz won, making him the first official world champion.
* The Saint Petersburg 1895-96 chess tournament, in which world champion Emanuel Lasker finished first and Steinitz finished second, led to Steinitz gaining support for an 1897 rematch, which Lasker won.
* The AVRO 1938 chess tournament was held partly to choose a challenger for Alexander Alekhine. Paul Keres won on tie-breaks, but World War II prevented the match from happening.

## Organization

The number of players in the tournament varied over the years, between eight and fifteen players. Most of these qualified from Interzonal tournaments, though some gained direct entry without having to play the Interzonal.
The first Interzonal/Candidates World Championship cycle began in 1948. Before 1965, the tournament was organized in a round-robin format. From 1965 on, the tournament was played as knockout matches, spread over several months. In 1995–1996, the defending FIDE champion (Anatoly Karpov) also entered the Candidates, in the third round (Candidates final).
During its 1993 to 2006 split from FIDE, the "Classical" World Championship also held three Candidates Tournaments (in 1994–1995, 1998 and 2002) under a different sponsor and a different format each time. In one of these cases (Alexei Shirov in 1998) no title match eventuated, under disputed circumstances (see Classical World Chess Championship 2000).
After the reunification of titles in 2006, FIDE tried different Candidates formats in 2007, 2009 and 2011, before settling on an 8 player, double round robin Candidates tournament from 2013 onwards.

## Results of Candidates Tournaments

The tables below show the qualifiers and results for all interzonal, Candidates and world championship tournaments.
* Players shown bracketed in italics (Bondarevsky, Euwe, Fine and Reshevsky in 1950, Botvinnik in 1965, Fischer in 1977, Carlsen in 2011 and 2024, and Radjabov in 2020) qualified for the Candidates or were seeded in the Candidates, but did not play.
* Players shown in italics with an asterisk (Stein* in 1962 and again in 1965, and Bronstein* in 1965) were excluded from the Candidates by a rule limiting the number of players from one country.
* Karjakin* in 2022 was disqualified by FIDE after his qualification for the Candidates: the FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission ruled that he breached Article 2.2.10 of the FIDE Code of Ethics after he made public comments approving of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. He is shown bracketed, in italics, and with an asterisk.
* Players listed after players in italics (Flohr in 1950, Benko in 1962, Geller, Ivkov and Portisch in 1965, Spassky in 1977, Grischuk in 2011, Vachier-Lagrave in 2020, Ding in 2022, and Abasov in 2024) only qualified due to the non-participation (withdrawal) of the bracketed players or players with an asterisk.
* Incumbent champions' names are struck through when they refused to defend their title (Fischer in 1975 and Carlsen in 2023).
Normally, the incumbent champion is seeded directly into the final against the challenger (who had to pass through the Candidates qualification), but there have been exceptions:
* The World Chess Championship 1948, in which five players were seeded into the championship tournament (the previous champion, Alexander Alekhine, having died in 1946). A sixth player, Fine, was also seeded into the championship tournament but chose not to play; he is shown in brackets.
* The FIDE World Chess Championship 1996, in which the FIDE World Champion Anatoly Karpov was seeded in the Candidates final.
* The Classical World Chess Championship 2000, in which two players were seeded into the championship final (one of them being incumbent champion Kasparov), and there were no previous qualifying stages. In this way, it resembled the pre-1946 events, in which the champion could handpick a challenger.
* The FIDE championships of 1999–2004 (during the split-title period), in which the incumbent champion had no special privileges.
* The FIDE World Chess Championship 2005, in which eight players (including incumbent FIDE champion Kasimdzhanov) were seeded into the final championship tournament.
* The FIDE World Chess Championship 2007, in which four players (including incumbent champion Kramnik) were seeded into the final championship tournament.
The incumbent champion Bobby Fischer refused to defend his title at the World Chess Championship 1975, and his challenger Anatoly Karpov won by forfeit. (At the time, the Candidates was a knock-out event, so the 1974 Karpov–Korchnoi Candidates final match – a best of 24 games, like world championships in the period 1951–1972 and 1985–1993 – arguably became a de facto world championship in retrospect.) Magnus Carlsen refused to defend his title at the World Chess Championship 2023 and was replaced by the runner-up of the Candidates Tournament, Ding Liren.

## Interzonal and Candidates tournaments (1948–1996)

World Championship selection cycles from 1948 to 1996 :
| Year | Selection of participants | Selection of participants | Selection of participants | Selection of participants | Selection of participants | Championship |
| 1948 | In 1946–1947, FIDE planned the 1948 championship tournament, selecting six notable players for the reasons shown. Fine withdrew from the tournament. | In 1946–1947, FIDE planned the 1948 championship tournament, selecting six notable players for the reasons shown. Fine withdrew from the tournament. | In 1946–1947, FIDE planned the 1948 championship tournament, selecting six notable players for the reasons shown. Fine withdrew from the tournament. | 1938 AVRO winners: • Keres • (Fine) Former world champion: • Euwe | Multiple US champion: • Reshevsky Soviet Champion: • Botvinnik Soviet grandmaster: • Smyslov | The Hague/ Moscow 1948 Quintuple round robin: 1 Botvinnik 14/20 2 Smyslov 11 3-4 Keres 10½ 3-4 Reshevsky 10½ 5 Euwe 4 |
| Year | Interzonal tournaments | Interzonal tournaments | Candidates tournaments | Candidates tournaments | Championship | Championship |
| Year | Format | Results | Seeded | Results | Contestants | Results |
| 1948–51 | Saltsjöbaden (Stockholm) 1948: Single round robin 20 players 8 qualified | 1 Bronstein 2 Szabo 3 Boleslavsky 4 Kotov 5 Lilienthal 6-9 Najdorf 6-9 Ståhlberg 6-9 (Bondarevsky) 6-9 Flohr | • Smyslov • Keres • (Euwe) • (Fine) • (Reshevsky) | Budapest 1950 Double round robin 10 players 1-2 Boleslavsky 1-2 Bronstein 3 Smyslov 4 Keres Playoff: • Bronstein beat Boleslavsky | Candidates winner: • Bronstein Defending champion: • Botvinnik | Moscow 1951 24-game match Drawn 12–12 Botvinnik retained title |
| 1952–54 | Saltsjöbaden (Stockholm) 1952 Single round robin 21 players 8 qualified | 1 Kotov 2-3 Taimanov 2-3 Petrosian 4 Geller 5-8 Averbakh 5-8 Ståhlberg 5-8 Szabo 5-8 Gligorić | 7 more: • Bronstein • Boleslavsky • Smyslov • Keres • Reshevsky • Najdorf • Euwe | Zürich 1953 Double round robin 15 players 1 Smyslov 2-4 Bronstein 2-4 Keres 2-4 Reshevsky | Candidates winner: • Smyslov Defending champion: • Botvinnik | Moscow 1954 24-game match Drawn 12–12 Botvinnik retained title |
| 1955–57 | Gothenburg 1955 Single round robin 21 players 9 qualified | 1 Bronstein 2 Keres 3 Panno 4 Petrosian 5-6 Geller 5-6 Szabo 7–9 Filip 7–9 Pilnik 7–9 Spassky | Smyslov | Amsterdam 1956 Double round robin 10 players 1 Smyslov 2 Keres | Candidates winner: • Smyslov Defending champion: • Botvinnik | Moscow 1957 24-game match Smyslov won 12½–9½ |
| 1958 | Rematch | Rematch | Rematch | Rematch | • Botvinnik • Smyslov | Moscow 1958 24-game match Botvinnik won 12½–10½ |
| 1958–60 | Portorož 1958 Single round robin 21 players 6 qualified | 1 Tal 2 Gligorić 3-4 Petrosian 3-4 Benko 5-6 Olafsson 5-6 Fischer | • Smyslov • Keres | Yugoslavia 1959 Quadruple round robin 8 players 1 Tal 2 Keres 3 Petrosian 4 Smyslov | Candidates winner: • Tal Defending champion: • Botvinnik | Moscow 1960 24-game match Tal won 12½–8½ |
| 1961 | Rematch | Rematch | Rematch | Rematch | • Botvinnik • Tal | Moscow 1961 24-game match Botvinnik won 13–8 |
| 1962–63 | Stockholm 1962 Single round robin 23 players 6 qualified | 1 Fischer 2-3 Geller 2-3 Petrosian 4-5 Korchnoi 4-5 Filip 6-8 Stein* 6-8 Benko | • Tal • Keres | Curaçao 1962 Quadruple round robin 8 players 1 Petrosian; 2 Keres 3 Geller 4 Fischer | Candidates winner: • Petrosian Defending champion: • Botvinnik | Moscow 1963 24-game match Petrosian won 12½–9½ |
| 1964–66 | Amsterdam 1964 Single round robin 24 players 6 qualified | 1-4 Smyslov 1-4 Larsen 1-4 Spassky 1-4 Tal 5 Stein* 6 Bronstein* 7 Ivkov 8-9 Portisch | • Keres • (Botvinnik) • Geller | 1965: 8 players, matches Semi-finals winners: • Spassky beat Geller • Tal beat Larsen Finals: • Spassky beat Tal | Candidates winner: • Spassky Defending champion: • Petrosian | Moscow 1966 24-game match Petrosian won 12½–11½ |
| 1967–69 | Sousse 1967 Single round robin 23 players 6 qualified | 1 Larsen 2-4 Korchnoi 2-4 Geller 2-4 Gligorić 5 Portisch 6-8 Reshevsky | • Spassky • Tal | 1968: 8 players, matches Semi-finals: • Korchnoi beat Tal • Spassky beat Larsen Finals: • Spassky beat Korchnoi | Champions winner: • Spassky Defending champion: • Petrosian | Moscow 1969 24-game match Spassky won 12½–10½ |
| 1970–72 | Palma de Mallorca 1970 Single round robin 24 players 6 qualified | 1 Fischer 2-4 Larsen 2-4 Geller 2-4 Hübner 5-6 Taimanov 5-6 Uhlmann | • Petrosian • Korchnoi | 1971: 8 players, matches Semi-finals: • Petrosian beat Korchnoi • Fischer beat Larsen Finals: • Fischer beat Petrosian | Candidates winner: • Fischer Defending champion: • Spassky | Reykjavík 1972 24-game match Fischer won 12½–8½ |
| 1973–75 | 1973: Two single round robins 18 players each 3 qualified from each | Leningrad 1973: 1-2 Korchnoi 1-2 Karpov 3 Byrne | • Spassky • Petrosian | 1974: 8 players, matches Semi-finals: • Korchnoi beat Petrosian • Karpov beat Spassky Finals: • Karpov beat Korchnoi | Candidates winner: • Karpov Defending champion: • (Fischer) | 1975: Karpov won on forfeit |
| 1973–75 | 1973: Two single round robins 18 players each 3 qualified from each | Petropolis 1973: 1 Mecking 2-4 Portisch 2-4 Polugaevsky | • Spassky • Petrosian | 1974: 8 players, matches Semi-finals: • Korchnoi beat Petrosian • Karpov beat Spassky Finals: • Karpov beat Korchnoi | Candidates winner: • Karpov Defending champion: • (Fischer) | 1975: Karpov won on forfeit |
| 1976–78 | 1976: Two single round robins 20 players each 3 qualified from each | Biel 1976: 1 Larsen 2-4 Petrosian 2-4 Portisch | • Korchnoi • (Fischer) • Spassky | 1977: 8 players, matches Semi-finals: • Korchnoi beat Polugaevsky • Spassky beat Portisch Finals: • Korchnoi beat Spassky | Candidates winner: • Korchnoi Defending champion: • Karpov | Baguio 1978 Karpov won 6–5 after 32 games (draws not counting) |
| 1976–78 | 1976: Two single round robins 20 players each 3 qualified from each | Manila 1976: 1 Mecking 2-3 Polugaevsky 2-3 Hort | • Korchnoi • (Fischer) • Spassky | 1977: 8 players, matches Semi-finals: • Korchnoi beat Polugaevsky • Spassky beat Portisch Finals: • Korchnoi beat Spassky | Candidates winner: • Korchnoi Defending champion: • Karpov | Baguio 1978 Karpov won 6–5 after 32 games (draws not counting) |
| 1979–81 | 1979: Two single round robins 18 players each 3 qualified from each | Riga 1979: 1-2 Tal 1-2 Polugaevsky 3-4 Adorján | • Korchnoi • Spassky | 1980: 8 players, matches Semi-finals: • Korchnoi beat Polugaevsky • Hübner beat Portisch Finals: • Korchnoi beat Hübner | Candidates winner: • Korchnoi Defending champion: • Karpov | Meran 1981 Karpov won 6–2 after 18 games (draws not counting) |
| 1979–81 | 1979: Two single round robins 18 players each 3 qualified from each | Rio de Janeiro 1979: 1-3 Portisch 1-3 Petrosian 1-3 Hübner | • Korchnoi • Spassky | 1980: 8 players, matches Semi-finals: • Korchnoi beat Polugaevsky • Hübner beat Portisch Finals: • Korchnoi beat Hübner | Candidates winner: • Korchnoi Defending champion: • Karpov | Meran 1981 Karpov won 6–2 after 18 games (draws not counting) |
| 1982–85 | 1982: Three single round robins 14 players each 2 qualified from each | Las Palmas 1982: 1 Ribli 2 Smyslov | • Korchnoi • Hübner | 1983–84: 8 players, matches Semi-finals: • Kasparov beat Korchnoi • Smyslov beat Ribli Finals, 1984: • Kasparov beat Smyslov | Candidates winner: • Kasparov Defending champion: • Karpov | Moscow 1984–85 Unlimited match abandoned after 48 games with Karpov leading 5–3 (draws not counting) |
| 1982–85 | 1982: Three single round robins 14 players each 2 qualified from each | Toluca 1982: 1-2 Portisch 1-2 Torre | • Korchnoi • Hübner | 1983–84: 8 players, matches Semi-finals: • Kasparov beat Korchnoi • Smyslov beat Ribli Finals, 1984: • Kasparov beat Smyslov | Candidates winner: • Kasparov Defending champion: • Karpov | Moscow 1984–85 Unlimited match abandoned after 48 games with Karpov leading 5–3 (draws not counting) |
| 1982–85 | 1982: Three single round robins 14 players each 2 qualified from each | Moscow 1982: 1 Kasparov 2 Beliavsky | • Korchnoi • Hübner | 1983–84: 8 players, matches Semi-finals: • Kasparov beat Korchnoi • Smyslov beat Ribli Finals, 1984: • Kasparov beat Smyslov | Candidates winner: • Kasparov Defending champion: • Karpov | Moscow 1984–85 Unlimited match abandoned after 48 games with Karpov leading 5–3 (draws not counting) |
| 1985 | Replay | Replay | Replay | Replay | • Karpov • Kasparov | Moscow 1985 24-game match Kasparov won 13–11 |
| 1986 | Rematch | Rematch | Rematch | Rematch | • Karpov • Kasparov | London/Leningrad 1986 24-game match Kasparov won 12½–11½ |
| 1985–87 | 1985: 3 single round robins 16–18 players each 4 qualified from each | Biel 1985: 1 Vaganian 2 Seirawan 3 Sokolov 4-6 Short | Seeded in tournament: • Korchnoi • Ribli • Smyslov • Spassky Seeded in 1987 final: • Karpov | Montpellier 1985: Single round robin tournament 16 players 1-3 Yusupov 1-3 Sokolov 1-3 Vaganian 4-5 Timman 1986: Two rounds of matches 4 players • Yusupov beat Timman • Sokolov beat Vaganian and Yusupov. Finals, Linares, 1987: • Karpov beat matches winner Sokolov | Candidates winner: • Karpov Defending champion: • Kasparov | Seville 1987 24-game match Drawn 12–12 Kasparov retained title |
| 1985–87 | 1985: 3 single round robins 16–18 players each 4 qualified from each | Taxco 1985: 1 Timman 2 Nogueiras 3 Tal 4 Spraggett; | Seeded in tournament: • Korchnoi • Ribli • Smyslov • Spassky Seeded in 1987 final: • Karpov | Montpellier 1985: Single round robin tournament 16 players 1-3 Yusupov 1-3 Sokolov 1-3 Vaganian 4-5 Timman 1986: Two rounds of matches 4 players • Yusupov beat Timman • Sokolov beat Vaganian and Yusupov. Finals, Linares, 1987: • Karpov beat matches winner Sokolov | Candidates winner: • Karpov Defending champion: • Kasparov | Seville 1987 24-game match Drawn 12–12 Kasparov retained title |
| 1985–87 | 1985: 3 single round robins 16–18 players each 4 qualified from each | Tunis 1985: 1 Yusupov 2 Beliavsky 3 Portisch 4-5 Chernin | Seeded in tournament: • Korchnoi • Ribli • Smyslov • Spassky Seeded in 1987 final: • Karpov | Montpellier 1985: Single round robin tournament 16 players 1-3 Yusupov 1-3 Sokolov 1-3 Vaganian 4-5 Timman 1986: Two rounds of matches 4 players • Yusupov beat Timman • Sokolov beat Vaganian and Yusupov. Finals, Linares, 1987: • Karpov beat matches winner Sokolov | Candidates winner: • Karpov Defending champion: • Kasparov | Seville 1987 24-game match Drawn 12–12 Kasparov retained title |
| 1987–90 | 1987: Three single round robins 17–18 players each 3 qualified from each | Subotica 1987: 1-3 Sax 1-3 Short 1-3 Speelman; | • Sokolov • Timman • Vaganian • Yusupov • Spraggett Seeded in 2nd round: • Karpov | 1988: One round of matches 14 players 1989: • Karpov (joined winners in quarter finals) Semi-finals (1989): • Karpov beat Yusupov • Timman beat Speelman Finals (1990): • Karpov beat Timman | Candidates winner: • Karpov Defending champion: • Kasparov | New York City/Lyon 1990 24-game match Kasparov won 12½–11½ |
| 1987–90 | 1987: Three single round robins 17–18 players each 3 qualified from each | Szirák 1987: 1-2 Salov 1-2 Hjartarson 3-4 Portisch | • Sokolov • Timman • Vaganian • Yusupov • Spraggett Seeded in 2nd round: • Karpov | 1988: One round of matches 14 players 1989: • Karpov (joined winners in quarter finals) Semi-finals (1989): • Karpov beat Yusupov • Timman beat Speelman Finals (1990): • Karpov beat Timman | Candidates winner: • Karpov Defending champion: • Kasparov | New York City/Lyon 1990 24-game match Kasparov won 12½–11½ |
| 1987–90 | 1987: Three single round robins 17–18 players each 3 qualified from each | Zagreb 1987: 1 Korchnoi 2-3 Seirawan 2-3 Ehlvest | • Sokolov • Timman • Vaganian • Yusupov • Spraggett Seeded in 2nd round: • Karpov | 1988: One round of matches 14 players 1989: • Karpov (joined winners in quarter finals) Semi-finals (1989): • Karpov beat Yusupov • Timman beat Speelman Finals (1990): • Karpov beat Timman | Candidates winner: • Karpov Defending champion: • Kasparov | New York City/Lyon 1990 24-game match Kasparov won 12½–11½ |
| 1990–93 | Manila 1990 64 players Swiss 11 qualified | 1-2 Gelfand 1-2 Ivanchuk 3-4 Anand 3-4 Short 5-11 Sax 5-11 Korchnoi 5-11 Hübner 5-11 Nikolić 5-11 Yudasin 5-11 Dolmatov 5-11 Dreev | • Timman • Yusupov • Speelman Seeded in 2nd round: • Karpov | 1991: One round of matches 14 players 1991: • Karpov (joined winners in quarter-finals) Semi-finals (1992): • Short beat Karpov • Timman beat Yusupov Finals (1993): • Short beat Timman | Candidates winner: • Short Defending champion: • Kasparov | London September–October 1993 24-game match Kasparov defeated Short 12½–7½ under the auspices of the PCA; |
| 1990–93 | Manila 1990 64 players Swiss 11 qualified | 1-2 Gelfand 1-2 Ivanchuk 3-4 Anand 3-4 Short 5-11 Sax 5-11 Korchnoi 5-11 Hübner 5-11 Nikolić 5-11 Yudasin 5-11 Dolmatov 5-11 Dreev | • Timman • Yusupov • Speelman Seeded in 2nd round: • Karpov | 1991: One round of matches 14 players 1991: • Karpov (joined winners in quarter-finals) Semi-finals (1992): • Short beat Karpov • Timman beat Yusupov Finals (1993): • Short beat Timman | Candidates finalist: • Timman Former world champion: • Karpov | Netherlands /Jakarta September–November 1993 24-game match Karpov defeated Timman 12½–8½ under the auspices of FIDE |
| 1993–95 (PCA) | Groningen December 1993 54 players Swiss 7 qualified | 1-2 Adams 1-2 Anand 3-7 Kamsky 3-7 Kramnik 3-7 Tiviakov 3-7 Gulko 3-7 Romanishin | Short | 1994–95: 8 players, matches Semi-finals: • Kamsky beat Short • Anand beat Adams Finals (1995): • Anand beat Kamsky | Candidates winner: • Anand Defending PCA champion • Kasparov | New York City September–October 1995 20-game match Kasparov won 10½–7½ |
| 1993–96 (FIDE) | Biel July 1993 73 players Swiss 10 qualified | 1 Gelfand 2-9 Van der Sterren 2-9 Kamsky 2-9 Khalifman 2-9 Adams 2-9 Yudasin 2-9 Salov 2-9 Lautier 2-9 Kramnik 10-15 Anand | • Timman • Yusupov | 1994: Two rounds of matches 12 players | Third round (Candidates final): Karpov beat Gelfand Kamsky beat Salov | Elista 1996 20-game match Karpov won 10½–7½ |
| 1993–96 (FIDE) | Biel July 1993 73 players Swiss 10 qualified | 1 Gelfand 2-9 Van der Sterren 2-9 Kamsky 2-9 Khalifman 2-9 Adams 2-9 Yudasin 2-9 Salov 2-9 Lautier 2-9 Kramnik 10-15 Anand | Seeded in third round (Candidates final): • Karpov | 1995: • Gelfand • Kamsky • Salov | Third round (Candidates final): Karpov beat Gelfand Kamsky beat Salov | Elista 1996 20-game match Karpov won 10½–7½ |

## Split titles (1997–2005)

After 1996, interzonals ceased to exist, but FIDE continued to organize qualifying zonal tournaments.
Classical championships (1998–2004) :
| Years | Candidates format | Seeded into Candidates | Seeded into Candidates | Seeded into Candidates | Candidates Winner(s) | Seeded in Final | Championship Final |
| 1998 (Classical) | Cazorla, May–June 1998 10-game match | Kramnik, Shirov (on rating) | Kramnik, Shirov (on rating) | Kramnik, Shirov (on rating) | Shirov won 5½–3½ | Kasparov (1995 champion) | Match never took place |
| 2000 (Classical) | None | None | None | None | None | Two players seeded in final: Kasparov (1995 champion); Kramnik (on rating) | London: October- November 2000 16-game match Kramnik won 8½–6½ |
| 2002–2004 (Classical) | Dortmund July 2002 preliminaries: two four players double round robins; Semi-finals: the first from each group met the second from the other group in mini-matches | Preliminaries: group 1: 1 Shirov 2 Topalov 3 Gelfand 4 Lutz | group 2: 1 Bareev 2 Leko 3 Adams 4 Morozevich | Semi-finals : Leko beat Shirov and Topalov beat Bareev. | Leko (beat Topalov in the final) | Kramnik (2000 classical champion) | Brissago: September–October 2004 14-game match drawn 7–7, Kramnik retained title |
| FIDE championships (1997–2005) ||||||||
| Years | Candidates format | Seeded into Candidates | Seeded into Candidates | Seeded into Candidates | Finalists | Finalists | Championship Final |
| 1997–1998 (FIDE) | Groningen December 1997, 7 round, mini-match, knockout tournament Winner plays 6-game championship match against Karpov | 97 players, Quarter-finalists: Adams, Van Wely, Short, Krasenkov, Gelfand, Dreev, Anand and Shirov. | 97 players, Quarter-finalists: Adams, Van Wely, Short, Krasenkov, Gelfand, Dreev, Anand and Shirov. | 97 players, Quarter-finalists: Adams, Van Wely, Short, Krasenkov, Gelfand, Dreev, Anand and Shirov. | Anand (beat Adams in candidates final) Karpov (1996 FIDE champion) | Anand (beat Adams in candidates final) Karpov (1996 FIDE champion) | Lausanne: January 1998 6-game match Drawn 3–3; Karpov won rapid playoff 2–0 |
| 1999 (FIDE) | Las Vegas July–August 1999, 7 round, mini-match, knockout tournament | 100 players, Quarter-finalists: Kramnik, Adams, Movsesian, Akopian, Shirov, Nisipeanu, Khalifman and J. Polgar | 100 players, Quarter-finalists: Kramnik, Adams, Movsesian, Akopian, Shirov, Nisipeanu, Khalifman and J. Polgar | 100 players, Quarter-finalists: Kramnik, Adams, Movsesian, Akopian, Shirov, Nisipeanu, Khalifman and J. Polgar | Semi-finals (4-game matches): Khalifman beat Nisipeanu, Akopian beat Adams | Semi-finals (4-game matches): Khalifman beat Nisipeanu, Akopian beat Adams | Las Vegas 1999 6-game match Khalifman won 3½–2½ |
| 2000 (FIDE) | New Delhi (6 rounds)/final in Tehran November–December 2000 7 round, mini-match, knockout tournament with final match played in Tehran | 100 players, Quarter-finalists: Anand, Khalifman, Adams, Topalov, Tkachiev, Grischuk, Shirov and Bareev | 100 players, Quarter-finalists: Anand, Khalifman, Adams, Topalov, Tkachiev, Grischuk, Shirov and Bareev | 100 players, Quarter-finalists: Anand, Khalifman, Adams, Topalov, Tkachiev, Grischuk, Shirov and Bareev | Semi-finals (4-game matches): Anand beat Adams, Shirov beat Grischuk | Semi-finals (4-game matches): Anand beat Adams, Shirov beat Grischuk | Tehran December 2000 6-game match Anand won 3½–½ |
| 2001–2002 (FIDE) | Moscow 7 round, mini-match, knockout tournament with relatively quick time controls first part (6 rounds): 25 November– 14 December 2001 final: 16–24 January 2002 | 128 players, Quarter-finalists: Anand, Shirov, Ivanchuk, Lautier, Svidler, Gelfand, Ponomariov and Bareev | 128 players, Quarter-finalists: Anand, Shirov, Ivanchuk, Lautier, Svidler, Gelfand, Ponomariov and Bareev | 128 players, Quarter-finalists: Anand, Shirov, Ivanchuk, Lautier, Svidler, Gelfand, Ponomariov and Bareev | Semi-finals (4-game matches): Ponomariov beat Svidler, Ivanchuk beat Anand | Semi-finals (4-game matches): Ponomariov beat Svidler, Ivanchuk beat Anand | Moscow January 2002 8-game match Ponomariov won 4½–2½ |
| 2004 (FIDE) | Tripoli June–July 2004 7 round, mini-match, knockout tournament with relatively quick time controls | 128 players, Quarter-finalists: Topalov, Kharlov, Kasimdzhanov, Grischuk, Radjabov, Dominguez, Adams, Akopian | 128 players, Quarter-finalists: Topalov, Kharlov, Kasimdzhanov, Grischuk, Radjabov, Dominguez, Adams, Akopian | 128 players, Quarter-finalists: Topalov, Kharlov, Kasimdzhanov, Grischuk, Radjabov, Dominguez, Adams, Akopian | Semi-finals (4-game matches): Adams beat Radjabov, Kasimdzhanov beat Topalov | Semi-finals (4-game matches): Adams beat Radjabov, Kasimdzhanov beat Topalov | Tripoli July 2004 6-game match drawn 3–3; Kasimdzhanov won rapid playoff 1½–½ |
| Years | Candidates format | Candidates format | Candidates format | Candidates format | Seeded in Final | Seeded in Final | Championship Final |
| 2005 (FIDE) | None | None | None | None | 8 players seeded in final: Kasimdzhanov (FIDE champion); Adams (as FIDE 2004 finalist); Anand, Morozevich, Topalov (on rating), Leko (as classical 2004 finalist), J. Polgár and Svidler (on rating) | 8 players seeded in final: Kasimdzhanov (FIDE champion); Adams (as FIDE 2004 finalist); Anand, Morozevich, Topalov (on rating), Leko (as classical 2004 finalist), J. Polgár and Svidler (on rating) | San Luis: 8 players, double round robin, September–October 2005 1 Topalov: 10/14 2-3 Anand 8½/14 2-3 Svidler 8½/14 4 Morozevich 7/14 |

## Reunified title (since 2006)

After the reunification of the FIDE and "classical" titles, the Chess World Cup and FIDE Grand Prix series were introduced as qualification for the Candidates Tournament. The Swiss-system FIDE Grand Swiss was introduced in the latter half of 2019, acting as another qualification path for the 2020 Candidates Tournament.
Reunification :
| Years | | | | | Seeded in Final | Seeded in Final | Championship Final |
| 2006 | Reunification match | Reunification match | Reunification match | Reunification match | Topalov (FIDE champion), Kramnik (classical champion) | Topalov (FIDE champion), Kramnik (classical champion) | Elista October 2006 12-game match drawn 6–6, Kramnik won rapid playoff 2½–1½ |
| Years | Qualification format | Qualifiers | Seeded into Candidates | Candidates Format | Candidates Winner(s) | Seeded in Final | Championship Final |
| 2005–2007 | Chess World Cup 2005 Khanty-Mansiysk November–December 2005 128 players, 7 round, mini-match, knockout tournament; + mini-matches to establish places 1 through 16. top 10 qualify | 1 Ponomariov 2 Aronian 3 (Bacrot) 4 Grischuk 5 Bareev 6 Gelfand 7 Rublevsky 8 Gurevich 9 Kamsky 10 Carlsen 11 Malakhov | Kasimdzhanov (2004 FIDE champion) Leko, Adams, J. Polgár, Shirov, Bacrot (on rating) | Candidates Matches 2007 Elista: May–June 2007 16 players, two rounds of matches, 4 players qualify for championship tournament | Aronian, Gelfand, Grischuk, Leko | Anand, Svidler, Morozevich (2nd–4th in 2005); Kramnik (2006 Champion) | Mexico City: September 2007 8 players, double round robin 1 Anand 9/14 2-3 Kramnik 8/14 2-3 Gelfand 8/14 |
| 2008 | Rematch | Rematch | Rematch | Rematch | Rematch | Kramnik, Anand | Bonn October 2008 12-game match Anand won 6½–4½ to retain the title. |
| 2007–2010 | Chess World Cup 2007 Khanty-Mansiysk November–December 2007 128 players, 7 round, mini-match, knockout tournament (1st qualifies) | Kamsky (beat Shirov in the final). | Topalov (2005 FIDE champion) | Candidates Match 2009 Sofia February 2009, 8-game match | Topalov beat Kamsky 4½–2½ | Anand (2008 champion) | Sofia April–May 2010 12-game match Anand won 6½–5½ to retain the title. |
| 2008–2012 | FIDE Grand Prix 2008–2010 2 qualified | Aronian, Radjabov | (Carlsen on rating) Grischuk (replacement of Carlsen) Kramnik (on rating), Kamsky, Topalov, Mamedyarov (wildcard) | Candidates Tournament 2011 Kazan, May 2011, 8 players, matches Semifinals: Gelfand defeated Kamsky; Grischuk defeated Kramnik | Gelfand (beat Grischuk in the final) | Anand (2010 champion) | Moscow May 2012 12-game match drawn 6–6, Anand won rapid playoff 2½–1½ to retain the title |
| 2008–2012 | Chess World Cup 2009 Khanty-Mansiysk November–December 2009 128 players, 7 round, mini-match, knockout tournament (1st qualifies) | Gelfand (beat Ponomariov in the final) | (Carlsen on rating) Grischuk (replacement of Carlsen) Kramnik (on rating), Kamsky, Topalov, Mamedyarov (wildcard) | Candidates Tournament 2011 Kazan, May 2011, 8 players, matches Semifinals: Gelfand defeated Kamsky; Grischuk defeated Kramnik | Gelfand (beat Grischuk in the final) | Anand (2010 champion) | Moscow May 2012 12-game match drawn 6–6, Anand won rapid playoff 2½–1½ to retain the title |
| 2011–2013 | Chess World Cup 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk August–September 2011 128 players, 7 round, mini-match, knockout tournament (top three qualify) | Svidler, Grischuk, Ivanchuk | Gelfand Carlsen, Aronian, Kramnik (ratings) Radjabov (wildcard) | Candidates Tournament 2013 London March 2013 8 player double round-robin tournament | Carlsen (won Candidates Tournament on tie breaks) | Anand (2012 champion) | Chennai, November 2013 12-game match Carlsen won 6½–3½ |
| 2012–2014 | FIDE Grand Prix 2012–2013 2 qualified | Topalov, Mamedyarov | Anand Aronian, Karjakin (ratings) Svidler (wildcard) | Candidates Tournament 2014 Khanty-Mansiysk, March 2014 8 player double round-robin tournament | Anand | Carlsen (2013 champion) | Sochi, November 2014 12-game match Carlsen won 6½-4½ to retain the title |
| 2012–2014 | Chess World Cup 2013 Tromsø August–September 2013 128 players, 7 round, mini-match, knockout tournament (top two qualify) | Kramnik, Andreikin | Anand Aronian, Karjakin (ratings) Svidler (wildcard) | Candidates Tournament 2014 Khanty-Mansiysk, March 2014 8 player double round-robin tournament | Anand | Carlsen (2013 champion) | Sochi, November 2014 12-game match Carlsen won 6½-4½ to retain the title |
| 2014–2016 | FIDE Grand Prix 2014–15 2 qualified | Caruana, Nakamura | Anand Topalov, Giri (ratings) Aronian (wildcard) | Candidates Tournament 2016 Moscow, March 2016 8 player double round-robin tournament | Karjakin | Carlsen (2014 champion) | New York City, November 2016 12-game match drawn 6–6 Carlsen won rapid playoff 3–1 to retain the title |
| 2014–2016 | Chess World Cup 2015 Baku October 2015 128 players, 7 round, mini-match, knockout tournament (top two qualify) | Karjakin, Svidler | Anand Topalov, Giri (ratings) Aronian (wildcard) | Candidates Tournament 2016 Moscow, March 2016 8 player double round-robin tournament | Karjakin | Carlsen (2014 champion) | New York City, November 2016 12-game match drawn 6–6 Carlsen won rapid playoff 3–1 to retain the title |
| 2017–2018 | FIDE Grand Prix 2017 Two qualify | Mamedyarov, Grischuk | Karjakin Caruana, So (ratings) Kramnik (wildcard) | Candidates Tournament 2018 Berlin, March 2018 8 player double round-robin tournament | Caruana | Carlsen (2016 champion) | London, November 2018 12-game match drawn 6–6 Carlsen won rapid playoff 3–0 to retain the title |
| 2017–2018 | Chess World Cup 2017 Tbilisi September 2017 128 players, 7 round, mini-match, knockout tournament (top two qualify) | Aronian, Ding | Karjakin Caruana, So (ratings) Kramnik (wildcard) | Candidates Tournament 2018 Berlin, March 2018 8 player double round-robin tournament | Caruana | Carlsen (2016 champion) | London, November 2018 12-game match drawn 6–6 Carlsen won rapid playoff 3–0 to retain the title |
| 2019–2021 | FIDE Grand Prix 2019 Two qualify | Grischuk, Nepomniachtchi | Caruana Giri (ratings) Alekseenko (wildcard) Vachier-Lagrave (ratings, as replacement for Radjabov) | Candidates Tournament 2020–21 Yekaterinburg, Mar-Apr 2020, Apr 2021 8 player double round-robin tournament | Nepomniachtchi | Carlsen (2018 champion) | Dubai, November–December 2021 14-game match Carlsen won to retain title, 7½–3½ |
| 2019–2021 | Chess World Cup 2019 Khanty-Mansiysk September–October 2019 128 players, 7 round, mini-match, knockout tournament (top two qualify) | (Radjabov), Ding | Caruana Giri (ratings) Alekseenko (wildcard) Vachier-Lagrave (ratings, as replacement for Radjabov) | Candidates Tournament 2020–21 Yekaterinburg, Mar-Apr 2020, Apr 2021 8 player double round-robin tournament | Nepomniachtchi | Carlsen (2018 champion) | Dubai, November–December 2021 14-game match Carlsen won to retain title, 7½–3½ |
| 2019–2021 | FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament 2019 Isle of Man, October 2019 Swiss tournament (top player qualifies) | Wang | Caruana Giri (ratings) Alekseenko (wildcard) Vachier-Lagrave (ratings, as replacement for Radjabov) | Candidates Tournament 2020–21 Yekaterinburg, Mar-Apr 2020, Apr 2021 8 player double round-robin tournament | Nepomniachtchi | Carlsen (2018 champion) | Dubai, November–December 2021 14-game match Carlsen won to retain title, 7½–3½ |
| 2021–2023 | FIDE Grand Prix 2022 February–April 2022 Top two qualify | Nakamura, Rapport | Nepomniachtchi Radjabov (wildcard) Ding (ratings, as replacement for Karjakin) | Candidates Tournament 2022 8 player double round-robin tournament Madrid, June–July 2022 | Nepomniachtchi | Carlsen (2021 champion) Ding (Candidates runner-up, as replacement for Carlsen) | Astana, April–May 2023 14-game match drawn 7–7 Ding won rapid playoff 2½–1½ |
| 2021–2023 | Chess World Cup 2021 Sochi July–August 2021 206 players, 8 round, mini-match, knockout tournament Top two qualify | Duda, (Karjakin*) | Nepomniachtchi Radjabov (wildcard) Ding (ratings, as replacement for Karjakin) | Candidates Tournament 2022 8 player double round-robin tournament Madrid, June–July 2022 | Nepomniachtchi | Carlsen (2021 champion) Ding (Candidates runner-up, as replacement for Carlsen) | Astana, April–May 2023 14-game match drawn 7–7 Ding won rapid playoff 2½–1½ |
| 2021–2023 | FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament 2021 Riga, October–November 2021 114-player Swiss tournament Top two qualify | Firouzja, Caruana | Nepomniachtchi Radjabov (wildcard) Ding (ratings, as replacement for Karjakin) | Candidates Tournament 2022 8 player double round-robin tournament Madrid, June–July 2022 | Nepomniachtchi | Carlsen (2021 champion) Ding (Candidates runner-up, as replacement for Carlsen) | Astana, April–May 2023 14-game match drawn 7–7 Ding won rapid playoff 2½–1½ |
| 2023–2024 | Chess World Cup 2023 Baku Jul-Aug 2023 206 players, 8 round, mini-match, knockout tournament Top three qualify | (Carlsen), Praggnanandhaa, Caruana, Abasov (4th) | Nepomniachtchi Firouzja (ratings) | Candidates Tournament 2024 8 player double round-robin tournament Toronto, April 2024 | Gukesh | Ding (2023 champion) | Singapore, November–December 2024 14-game match Gukesh won 7½–6½ |
| 2023–2024 | FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament 2023 Isle of Man Oct-Nov 2023 114-player Swiss tournament Top two qualify | Vidit, Nakamura | Nepomniachtchi Firouzja (ratings) | Candidates Tournament 2024 8 player double round-robin tournament Toronto, April 2024 | Gukesh | Ding (2023 champion) | Singapore, November–December 2024 14-game match Gukesh won 7½–6½ |
| 2023–2024 | FIDE Circuit 2023 Top player qualifies | (Caruana,) Gukesh | Nepomniachtchi Firouzja (ratings) | Candidates Tournament 2024 8 player double round-robin tournament Toronto, April 2024 | Gukesh | Ding (2023 champion) | Singapore, November–December 2024 14-game match Gukesh won 7½–6½ |
| 2024–2026 | FIDE Circuit 2024 Top player qualifies | Caruana | (ratings) | Candidates Tournament 2026 8 player double round-robin tournament | | Gukesh (2024 champion) | TBD |
| 2024–2026 | FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament 2025 Samarkand Sep 2025 109-player Swiss tournament Top two qualify | | (ratings) | Candidates Tournament 2026 8 player double round-robin tournament | | Gukesh (2024 champion) | TBD |
| 2024–2026 | Chess World Cup 2025 TBA, India Oct-Nov 2025 206 players, 8 round, mini-match, knockout tournament Top three qualify | | (ratings) | Candidates Tournament 2026 8 player double round-robin tournament | | Gukesh (2024 champion) | TBD |
| 2024–2026 | FIDE Circuit 2025 Top player qualifies | | (ratings) | Candidates Tournament 2026 8 player double round-robin tournament | | Gukesh (2024 champion) | TBD |
| Years | Qualification format | Qualifiers | Seeded into Candidates | Candidates Format | Candidates Winner(s) | Seeded in Final | Championship Final |