# Grenke Chess Classic

Grenke Chess Classic is an annual chess tournament held in the German cities of Karlsruhe and Baden-Baden and sponsored by Grenke AG. It was held from 2013 to 2019, with the exception of 2016. The tournament returned in 2024 after a five-year hiatus with a new rapid time control (45+10) to replace the previous classical format.

## Winners

    #YearWinner 12013 Viswanathan Anand (India) 22014 Arkadij Naiditsch (Germany) 32015 Magnus Carlsen (Norway) 42017 Levon Aronian (Armenia) 52018 Fabiano Caruana (United States) 62019 Magnus Carlsen (Norway) 72024 Magnus Carlsen (Norway)

## 2013

Six players participated in the first edition of Grenke Chess. The winner was Viswanathan Anand ahead of Fabiano Caruana; they scored 6.5 and 6 out of 10, respectively.
    1st Grenke Chess Classic, 7–17 February 2013, Baden-Baden, Germany, Category XIX (2714) PlayerRating123456TotalWinsTPR 1 Viswanathan Anand (India)2780½ ½½ ½½ ½1 1½ 16½2811 2 Fabiano Caruana (Italy)2757½ ½Does not appear1 ½½ 01 1½ ½62778 3 Georg Meier (Germany)2640½ ½0 ½Does not appear½ ½0 1½ 1522729 4 Michael Adams (England)2725½ ½½ 1½ ½Does not appear0 ½½ ½512712 5 Arkadij Naiditsch (Germany)27160 00 01 01 ½Does not appear½ 142642 6 Daniel Fridman (Germany)2667½ 0½ ½½ 0½ ½½ 0Does not appear3½2614

## 2014

Arkadij Naiditsch, the highest-rated German chess player won the 2014 edition of Grenke Chess Classic ahead of David Baramidze. This edition was not a supertournament, and was a national competition: all eight participants came from Germany. It was a single Round-robin tournament, and two spots were provided for the players to win entry into the next edition of 2015.
    2nd Grenke Chess Classic, 6–12 September 2014, Baden-Baden, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, Category XV (2609) PlayerTitleClubRating12345678TotalWinsBlackH2HTPR 1 Arkadij Naiditsch (Germany)GMOSG Baden-Baden2715½½1011152752 2 David Baramidze (Germany)GMSV Hockenheim2599½Does not appear01½½1½422661 3 Daniel Fridman (Germany)GMMülheim-Nord 19312633½1Does not appear½½½½½412656 4 Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu (Germany)GMOSG Baden-Baden267200½Does not appear1½1½3½2012600 5 Matthias Blübaum (Germany)IMSV Werder Bremen25211½½0Does not appear0½13½2002622 6 Georg Meier (Germany)GMOSG Baden-Baden26520½½½1Does not appear½½3½12603 7 Dennis Wagner (Germany)IMSV Hockenheim249900½0½½Does not appear12½2523 8 Philipp Schlosser (Germany)GMOSG Baden-Baden25820½½½0½0Does not appear22455

## 2015

The tournament was played between 2–9 February 2015. With an average rating of 2752, it is the strongest edition of Grenke Chess in its history. Among the participants were Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Viswanathan Anand and Levon Aronian. The winner was Magnus Carlsen, who eventually won a five-game tiebreak with Arkadij Naiditsch with a score of 3–2 (two rapid, two blitz and one armageddon game).
    3rd Grenke Chess Classic, 2–9 February 2015, Baden-Baden, Germany, Category XX (2750) PlayerRating12345678TotalTBWinsTPR 1 Magnus Carlsen (Norway)286501½½½114½32835 2 Arkadij Naiditsch (Germany)27061Does not appear½½½½½14½22858 3 Michael Adams (England)27380½Does not appear½½½11422802 4 Fabiano Caruana (Italy)2811½½½Does not appear1½½½412791 5 Levon Aronian (Armenia)2777½½½0Does not appear½1½3½12746 6 Étienne Bacrot (France)2711½½½½½Does not appear½½3½02755 7 Viswanathan Anand (India)27970½0½0½Does not appear12½2641 8 David Baramidze (Germany)2594000½½½0Does not appear1½2544

### Notes

* Final rapid/blitz/armageddon tie-break: Magnus Carlsen def. Arkadij Naiditsch, 3–2.
* FIDE Ratings as of February 2015.

## 2017

The 2017 tournament took place from 15 to 22 April in Karlsruhe and Baden-Baden.
4th Grenke Chess Classic, 15–22 April 2017, Karlsruhe — Baden-Baden, Germany, Category XX (2730) :
| | Player | Rating | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Total | Wins | Black | H2H | TPR |
| 1 | Levon Aronian (Armenia) | 2774 | | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 5½ | 4 | | | 2953 |
| 2 | Fabiano Caruana (United States) | 2817 | ½ | Does not appear | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 4 | 2 | | | 2767 |
| 3 | Magnus Carlsen (Norway) | 2838 | ½ | ½ | Does not appear | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 4 | 1 | | | 2764 |
| 4 | Arkadij Naiditsch (Azerbaijan) | 2702 | 0 | 0 | ½ | Does not appear | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 3½ | 2 | 2 | | 2733 |
| 5 | Hou Yifan (China) | 2649 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | Does not appear | 0 | ½ | 1 | 3½ | 2 | 1 | | 2741 |
| 6 | Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France) | 2803 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | Does not appear | 1 | ½ | 3½ | 2 | 0 | | 2719 |
| 7 | Matthias Blübaum (Germany) | 2634 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | Does not appear | ½ | 2 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 2585 |
| 8 | Georg Meier (Germany) | 2621 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | Does not appear | 2 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 2587 |

## 2018

5th Grenke Chess Classic, 31 March – 9 April 2018, Karlsruhe — Baden-Baden, Germany, Category XX (2736) :
| | Player | Rating | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Total | Wins | Black | H2H | TPR |
| 1 | Fabiano Caruana (United States) | 2784 | | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 6½ | 4 | 3 | | 2896 |
| 2 | Magnus Carlsen (Norway) | 2843 | ½ | Does not appear | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 5½ | 2 | 1 | | 2803 |
| 3 | Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France) | 2789 | 0 | ½ | Does not appear | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 5 | 2 | 1 | ½ | 2772 |
| 4 | Nikita Vitiugov (Russia) | 2735 | 0 | ½ | ½ | Does not appear | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | ½ | 2778 |
| 5 | Levon Aronian (Armenia) | 2794 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | Does not appear | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 5 | 1 | 0 | | 2772 |
| 6 | Matthias Blübaum (Germany) | 2631 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | Does not appear | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 4½ | 1 | 0 | | 2747 |
| 7 | Arkadij Naiditsch (Azerbaijan) | 2701 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | Does not appear | ½ | ½ | 1 | 3½ | 1 | 1 | | 2659 |
| 8 | Viswanathan Anand (India) | 2776 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | Does not appear | ½ | ½ | 3½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 2651 |
| 9 | Hou Yifan (China) | 2654 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | Does not appear | ½ | 3½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 2664 |
| 10 | Georg Meier (Germany) | 2648 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | Does not appear | 3 | 0 | 0 | | 2620 |

### Notes

* The tiebreaks were as follows: 1) number of wins; 2) number of black wins; 3) head-to-head.
* 2018 Grenke Chess Open A swiss tournament was won by 13-year-old German player Vincent Keymer with a score of 8/9. Keymer thus qualified for the Grenke Chess Classic 2019.

## 2019

6th Grenke Chess Classic, 20–29 April 2019, Karlsruhe — Baden-Baden, Germany, Category XIX (2724) :
| | Player | Rating | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Total | Wins | Black | H2H | TPR |
| 1 | Magnus Carlsen (Norway) | 2845 | | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7½ | | | | 2983 |
| 2 | Fabiano Caruana (United States) | 2819 | ½ | Does not appear | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 6 | | | | 2838 |
| 3 | Arkadij Naiditsch (Azerbaijan) | 2695 | ½ | 0 | Does not appear | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | | | 2770 |
| 4 | Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France) | 2773 | 0 | ½ | ½ | Does not appear | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | | | 2761 |
| 5 | Peter Svidler (Russia) | 2735 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | Does not appear | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 4½ | 2 | 1 | ½ | 2722 |
| 6 | Viswanathan Anand (India) | 2774 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | Does not appear | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4½ | 2 | 1 | ½ | 2718 |
| 7 | Levon Aronian (Armenia) | 2763 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | Does not appear | ½ | ½ | ½ | 4½ | 1 | | | 2719 |
| 8 | Francisco Vallejo Pons (Spain) | 2693 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | Does not appear | ½ | 1 | 4 | | | | 2693 |
| 9 | Georg Meier (Germany) | 2628 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | Does not appear | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | | 2514 |
| 10 | Vincent Keymer (Germany) | 2516 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | Does not appear | 2 | 1 | 0 | | 2527 |

### Notes

* 2019 Grenke Chess Open A swiss tournament was won by GM Daniel Fridman (2629) with a score of 7½/9.

## 2024

The tournament returned in 2024 after a five-year hiatus. For the first time, the tournament was played in a rapid time control (45+10) instead of the former classical time control. The format was also changed into a double Round-robin tournament (2 games with reversed colors against each player), followed by playoffs to decide places 1, 3 and 5. Magnus Carlsen won the tournament.
7th Grenke Chess Classic, 26–31 March 2024, Karlsruhe — Baden-Baden, Cat. XIX (2724) :
| | Player | Rating | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Total |
| 1 | Magnus Carlsen (Norway) | 2823 | Does not appear | 0 1 | ½ ½ | 1 1 | ½ ½ | 1 1 | 7 |
| 2 | Richárd Rapport (Romania) | 2708 | 1 0 | Does not appear | 0 ½ | ½ 1 | ½ 1 | 1 ½ | 6 |
| 3 | Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France) | 2755 | ½ ½ | 1 ½ | Does not appear | ½ ½ | ½ ½ | 0 ½ | 5 |
| 4 | Vincent Keymer (Germany) | 2627 | 0 0 | ½ 0 | ½ ½ | Does not appear | ½ 1 | ½ ½ | 4 |
| 5 | Ding Liren (China) | 2818 | ½ ½ | ½ 0 | ½ ½ | ½ 0 | Does not appear | ½ ½ | 4 |
| 6 | Daniel Fridman (Germany) | 2575 | 0 0 | 0 ½ | 1 ½ | ½ ½ | ½ ½ | Does not appear | 4 |
4th-place tiebreaker :
| | Player | Rating | 1 | 2 | 3 | Total |
| 4 | Vincent Keymer (Germany) | 2627 | Does not appear | ½ 1 | 1 - | 2.5 |
| 5 | Ding Liren (China) | 2818 | ½ 0 | Does not appear | 0 1 | 1.5 |
| 6 | Daniel Fridman (Germany) | 2575 | 0 - | 1 0 | Does not appear | 1 |
Match for 5th place :
| | Player | Rating | 1 | 2 | Total |
| 5 | Ding Liren (China) | 2818 | 1 | ½ | 1.5 |
| 6 | Daniel Fridman (Germany) | 2575 | 0 | ½ | 0.5 |
Match for 3rd place :
| | Player | Rating | 1 | 2 | B1 | B2 | Total |
| 3 | Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France) | 2755 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 2.5 |
| 4 | Vincent Keymer (Germany) | 2627 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1.5 |
Match for 1st place :
| | Player | Rating | 1 | 2 | Total |
| 1 | Magnus Carlsen (Norway) | 2823 | 1 | ½ | 1.5 |
| 2 | Richárd Rapport (Romania) | 2708 | 0 | ½ | 0.5 |

### Notes

* 2024 Grenke Chess Open A swiss tournament was won by GM Hans Niemann with a score of 8/9.