# FIDE Grand Prix 2017

The FIDE Grand Prix 2017 was a series of four chess tournaments that formed part of the qualification cycle for the World Chess Championship 2018. The top two finishers, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Alexander Grischuk, qualified to the 2018 Candidates Tournament.

## Format

There were four tournaments in the cycle; each consisted of 18 players. 24 players were selected to compete in the tournaments, and each player competed in three of the four tournaments.
In contrast to the previous editions where players played a full round-robin, each tournament was an 18-player, nine-round Swiss system tournament. In each round players scored 1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw and 0 for a loss. Grand Prix points were then allocated according to each player's standing in the tournament, as shown in the table below.

## Players

The Grand Prix consists of 24 players. Two players qualified to be among the 24 by being finalists in the World Chess Championship 2016 match; four players qualified by reaching the semifinals of the Chess World Cup 2015, eight players will qualify based on their ratings; one player will qualify by participation in the Association of Chess Professionals, and finally nine players rated at least 2700 (or 2600 for former men and women national or world champions) will be nominated by Agon and FIDE.
In an interview with Chessdom (Aug 2016), Zurab Azmaiparashvili (president of the European Chess Union) indicated various plusses and minuses with the new system, particularly that the nine "wild card" entries were less expensive than in previous versions. However, with few details currently available and maybe questions unanswered, he also was unsure of the professionality of Agon's approach.
At the FIDE General Assembly in September, Agon presented Vladimir Kramnik as having Russia as a national sponsor, which if true would have been the first time that he participated in the FIDE Grand Prix.
Any player who declines to participate in the Grand Prix will be replaced by another player who is rated over 2700. Players who held an entry spot but did not enter the Grand Prix were: Magnus Carlsen and Sergey Karjakin from the World Chess Championship 2016, Fabiano Caruana, Viswanathan Anand, Veselin Topalov, Vladimir Kramnik, Wesley So from the rating list.
| Invitee | Country | Qualifying method |
| Peter Svidler | Russia | Chess World Cup 2015 runner-up |
| Pavel Eljanov | Ukraine | Chess World Cup 2015 semi-finalists |
| Anish Giri | Netherlands | Chess World Cup 2015 semi-finalists |
| Hikaru Nakamura | United States | FIDE rating list (from June 2015 to May 2016) |
| Levon Aronian | Armenia | FIDE rating list (from June 2015 to May 2016) |
| Ding Liren | China | FIDE rating list (from June 2015 to May 2016) |
| Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | France | FIDE rating list (from June 2015 to May 2016) |
| Alexander Grischuk | Russia | FIDE rating list (from June 2015 to May 2016) |
| Li Chao | China | FIDE rating list (from June 2015 to May 2016) |
| Pentala Harikrishna | India | FIDE rating list (from June 2015 to May 2016) |
| Shakhriyar Mamedyarov | Azerbaijan | FIDE rating list (from June 2015 to May 2016) |
| Dmitry Jakovenko | Russia | FIDE rating list (from June 2015 to May 2016) |
| Boris Gelfand | Israel | FIDE rating list (from June 2015 to May 2016) |
| Michael Adams | England | FIDE rating list (from June 2015 to May 2016) |
| Evgeny Tomashevsky | Russia | ACP Tour ranking |
| Teimour Radjabov | Azerbaijan | organiser's nominees |
| Ernesto Inarkiev | Russia | organiser's nominees |
| Francisco Vallejo Pons | Spain | organiser's nominees |
| Salem Saleh | United Arab Emirates | organiser's nominees |
| Hou Yifan | China | organiser's nominees |
| Jon Ludvig Hammer | Norway | organiser's nominees |
| Ian Nepomniachtchi | Russia | organiser's nominees |
| Alexander Riazantsev | Russia | organiser's nominees |
| Richárd Rapport | Hungary | organiser's nominees |

## Prize money and Grand Prix points

The total prize money is €130,000 per single Grand Prix, or €520,000 for the total Grand Prix series. This money is allocated based on ranking in each individual tournament.
Additionally, each player who can recruit a sponsor will receive €20,000.
| Place | Single Grand Prix event | Grand Prix points |
| 1 | €20,000 | 170 |
| 2 | €15,000 | 140 |
| 3 | €12,000 | 110 |
| 4 | €11,000 | 90 |
| 5 | €10,000 | 80 |
| 6 | €9,000 | 70 |
| 7 | €8,000 | 60 |
| 8 | €7,000 | 50 |
| 9 | €6,000 | 40 |
| 10 | €5,000 | 30 |
| 11 | €4,250 | 20 |
| 12 | €4,000 | 10 |
| 13 | €3,750 | 8 |
| 14 | €3,500 | 6 |
| 15 | €3,250 | 4 |
| 16 | €3,000 | 3 |
| 17 | €2,750 | 2 |
| 18 | €2,500 | 1 |

## Tie breaks

With the objective of determining qualifiers to play in the Candidates 2018, and in the case that two or more players have equal cumulative points at the top, the following criteria were utilized to decide the overall Series winner and other overall placings:
* Number of actual game result points scored in the three tournaments entered.
* Number of games played with black.
* Number of wins.
* Number of black wins.
* Drawing of lots.

## Schedule

Originally the first event was to take place in October 2016, but this has been moved to November 2017, with the other dates mostly the same.
| No. | Host city | Date | Winners | Points (win/draw/loss) |
| 1 | Sharjah | 18 – 27 February 2017 | Alexander Grischuk (RUS) Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA) Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE) | 5½/9 (+2=7–0) 5½/9 (+2=7–0) 5½/9 (+3=5–1) |
| 2 | Moscow | 12 – 21 May 2017 | Ding Liren (CHN) | 6/9 (+3=6–0) |
| 3 | Geneva | 6 – 15 July 2017 | Teimour Radjabov (AZE) | 6/9 (+3=6-0) |
| 4 | Palma, Majorca | 16 – 25 November 2017 | Levon Aronian (ARM) Dmitry Jakovenko (RUS) | 5½/9 (+2=7–0) 5½/9 (+2=7–0) |
Originally the 3rd Grand Prix (now the 2nd) was to conflict with the World Team Chess Championship, but now that event has been moved to July where it instead conflicts with the Grand Chess Tour events and Norway Chess.

## Broadcasting boycott

FIDE Grand Prix broadcasting right belongs to Agon, which, in previous tournaments, had sued other websites to restrict their rights on relaying chess moves. In protest, chess24 refuses to relay or mention the Grand Prix starting from Moscow 2017.

## Events crosstables

The notation in the crosstable is the number of the opponent, color of pieces, and score. For example, in the top-left hand corner of the Sharjah 2017 crosstable, 16w½ indicates that in round 1, Grischuk played player 16 (Jon Ludvig Hammer) with the white pieces, and the game ended in a draw. The player numbers do not exactly correspond to finishing position; for instance Grischuk, Vachier-Lagrave and Mamedyarov all finished equal first, but are allocated numbers 1, 2 and 3 for convenience of notation.

### Sharjah 2017

    1st stage, Sharjah, UAE, 18–27 February 2017 PlayerRating123456789TotalRCBlacksWinsBWTPRGP 1 Alexander Grischuk (RUS)2742 16w½6b½13w½8b½10w17b½5w½3w12b½5½+114202828140 2 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)2796 11w19b13w½7b½13w½5b½6w½8b½1w½5½+44212824140 3 Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)2766 12b½17w12b½5w17w½6b½8w½1b014w15½+64302814140 4 Ding Liren (CHN)2760 9w015b116w½6b½8w½14b½7w½11b½13w15-2421275170 5 Michael Adams (ENG)2751 15w113b½10w½3b016w12w½1b½6b½7b½5+3520277970 6 Dmitry Jakovenko (RUS)2709 7b½1w½14b½4w½18b13w½2b½5w½8w½5+9411278470 7 Hikaru Nakamura (USA)2785 6w½16b½9w12w½3b½1w½4b½13b½5w½5-1410278070 8 Ian Nepomniachtchi (RUS)2749 14b½18w½12b½1w½4b½11w13b½2w½6b½5+2510276870 9 Richárd Rapport (HUN)2692 4b12w07b015w½17b½18w113w½14b½11w½4½+4421272625 10 Pavel Eljanov (UKR)2759 18b½12w½5b½14w½1b017w½11b016b115w14½-8521269325 11 Li Chao (CHN)2720 2b014w½18b½17w112b½8b010w14w½9b½4½+0520272225 12 Francisco Vallejo Pons (ESP)2709 3w½10b½8w½16b½11w½13b½14w½15b½17w½4½+1400271425 13 Levon Aronian (ARM)2785 17b½5w½1b½18w½2b½12w½9b½7w½4b04-1150026927 14 Hou Yifan (CHN)2651 8w½11b½6w½10b½15b½4w½12b½9w½3b04+450026817 15 Salem Saleh (UAE)2656 5b04w017b½9b½14w½16b½18w112w½10b03½-451026243 16 Jon Ludvig Hammer (NOR)2628 1b½7w½4b½12w½5b015w½17b½10w018b½3½+250026473 17 Evgeny Tomashevsky (RUS)2711 13w½3b015w½11b09w½10b½16w½18b½12b½3½-1050026303 18 Alexander Riazantsev (RUS)2671 10w½8b½11w½13b½6w09b015b017w½16w½3-1040025871

### Moscow 2017

    2nd stage, Moscow, Russia, 12–21 May 2017 PlayerRating123456789TotalRCBlacksWinsBWTPRGP 1 Ding Liren (CHN)2773 4b½18w13b15w½2b½8w½7b½9w½10b16+125322870170 2 Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)2772 14w½10b½17w116b11w½4b½6w½5b½8w½5½+54212813140 3 Hou Yifan (CHN)2652 15b18w½1w07b½6w016b½13w114w½18b15+14432277071${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ 4 Teimour Radjabov (AZE)2710 1w½7b½6w½14b15b½2w½8b½10w½12b½5+11511280071${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ 5 Peter Svidler (RUS)2755 11b½16w½12b11b½4w½6b½10w½2w½7b½5+2511277671${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ 6 Alexander Grischuk (RUS)2750 16b½11w½4b½8w½3b15w½2b½7w½9b½5+3511277571${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ 7 Hikaru Nakamura (USA)2786 18b½4w½11b½3w½9b½15w11w½6b½5w½5-1410277671${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ 8 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)2795 17w½3b½10w½6b½16w11b½4w½11b½2b½5-5510276071${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ 9 Anish Giri (NED)2785 10w½17b½14w½13b½7w½11b½16w11b½6w½5-3410275971${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ 10 Boris Gelfand (ISR)2724 9b½2w½8b½11w½15b½12w15b½4b½1w04½+4510275420 11 Evgeny Tomashevsky (RUS)2696 5w½6b½7w½10b½13w½9w½12b½8w½17b½4½+6400274620 12 Pentala Harikrishna (IND)2750 13w½14b½5w018b½17w110b011w½15b14w½4½-4421271620 13 Jon Ludvig Hammer (NOR)2621 12b½15w018b19w½11b½14w½3b017w½16b½4+751126747 14 Francisco Vallejo Pons (ESP)2710 2b½12w½9b½4w018w½13b½17w½3b½15w½4-340026817 15 Ian Nepomniachtchi (RUS)2751 3w013b116w017b110w½7b018b½12w014b½3½-1652226263 16 Salem Saleh (UAE)2633 6w½5b½15b12w08b03w½9b018w½13w½3½+241126543 17 Michael Adams (ENG)2747 8b½9w½2b015w012b018w114b½13b½11w½3½-1251026543 18 Ernesto Inarkiev (RUS)2727 7w½1b013w012w½14b½17b015w½16b½3w02½-2240025481

### Geneva 2017

    3rd stage, Geneva, Switzerland, 6–15 July 2017 PlayerRating123456789TotalRCBlacksWinsBWTPRGP 1 Teimour Radjabov (AZE)2724 5b111w112b½4w½10b½3b½9w16w½2b½6+185312877170 2 Ian Nepomniachtchi (RUS)2742 16b½14w½11b017w14b½15w110b½12w11w½5½+94302814125 3 Alexander Grischuk (RUS)2761 15b½16w17b½12w½11b11w½4b½10w½5b½5½+85212827125 4 Pentala Harikrishna (IND)2737 6b17w½10w½1b½2w½12b13w½8b013w½5+6422278360 5 Anish Giri (NED)2775 1w018b18w½14b½6w½13b½12w½17b13w½5-3422275660 6 Alexander Riazantsev (RUS)2654 4w017b½18w½15w½5b½16b18w11b½7w½5+12421275560 7 Michael Adams (ENG)2736 18w14b½3w½9b08w½14b½13w½16b16b½5+2521275460 8 Li Chao (CHN)2735 12b½9w½5b½13w½7b½11w16b04w110b½5+6520278860 9 Peter Svidler (RUS)2749 13w½8b½14w½7w112b½10w½1b018b½17w15+2520277060 10 Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)2800 14b½15w14b½11w½1w½9b½2w½3b½8w½5-3410277960 11 Pavel Eljanov (UKR)2739 17w11b02w110b½3w08b018w114b½16w½4½-2430272111 12 Levon Aronian (ARM)2809 8w½13b11w½3b½9w½4w05b½2b018w14½-10421272911 13 Dmitry Jakovenko (RUS)2703 9b½12w016b18b½14w½5w½7b½15w½4b½4½+5511274111 14 Boris Gelfand (ISR)2728 10w½2b½9b½5w½13b½7w½17b½11w½15b½4½+1500273511 15 Ernesto Inarkiev (RUS)2707 3w½10b017w½6b½18w12b016w½13b½14w½4-541026674 16 Richárd Rapport (HUN)2694 2w½3b013w018b017b16w015b½7w011b½2½-1951125392 17 Hou Yifan (CHN)2666 11b06w½15b½2b016w018b114w½5w09b02½-1441125482 18 Salem Saleh (UAE)2638 7b05w06b½16w115b017w011b09w½12b02-1451025051

### Palma 2017

Going into the final tournament, only Radjabov and Vachier-Lagrave could overtake Mamedyarov or Grischuk to qualify for the Candidates. (Ding Liren could also finish first or second in the Grand Prix, but had already qualified via the World Cup). Going into the final round of that tournament, both Radjabov and Vachier-Lagrave were equal 2nd-10th, and both would have qualified for the Candidates with a final round win, though neither was able to.
    4th stage, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, 16–27 November 2017 PlayerRating123456789TotalRCBlacksWinsBWTPRGP 1 Levon Aronian (ARM)2801 2b½12w110b½13w14b½5w½9b½8w½3b½5½520155 2 Dmitry Jakovenko (RUS)2721 1w½3b½16w½11b15w½13b½7w½9b½10b15½522155 3 Hikaru Nakamura (USA)2780 11b½2w½8b½6w110b½4w½5b½7w½1w½541071${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ 4 Ding Liren (CHN)2774 15w½16b½11w½12b11w½3b½13w½5b½8b½551171${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ 5 Peter Svidler (RUS)2763 8b½11w½18b110w½2b½1b½3w½4w½7b½551171${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ 6 Teimour Radjabov (AZE)2741 16w½15b113w½3b07w½8b014w117b19w½543271${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ 7 Pentala Harikrishna (IND)2738 18b½8w½12b½15w16b½10w½2b½3b½5w½551071${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ 8 Evgeny Tomashevsky (RUS)2702 5w½7b½3w½16b½9w½6w110b½1b½4w½541071${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ 9 Richárd Rapport (HUN)2692 13b017b½14w½18w18b½16b11w½2w½6b½552171${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ 10 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)2796 17w113b½1w½5b½3w½7b½8w½12b½2w04½41020 11 Pavel Eljanov (UKR)2707 ½½½0½½1½½4½41020 12 Ernesto Inarkiev (RUS)2683 10½0½1½½½4½42120 13 Anish Giri (NED)2762 1½½0½½½0½44106 14 Li Chao (CHN)2741 0½½½½½01½45106 15 Francisco Vallejo Pons (ESP)2705 ½010½½½½½45106 16 Alexander Riazantsev (RUS)2651 ½½½½½00½½3½4003 17 Boris Gelfand (ISR)2719 0½0½½010½35111${\tfrac {1}{2}}$ 18 Jon Ludvig Hammer (NOR)2629 ½½00½½0½½34001${\tfrac {1}{2}}$

## Grand Prix standings

Grand Prix points in bold indicate a tournament win. Green indicates qualifiers for the 2018 Candidates Tournament. Mamedyarov and Grischuk qualified via the Grand Prix. Ding Liren and Aronian qualified via the Chess World Cup 2017.
| | Player | FIDE rating February 2017 | Sharjah | Moscow | Geneva | Palma | Total |
| 1 | Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE) | 2766 | 140 | 140 | 60 | | 340 |
| 2 | Alexander Grischuk (RUS) | 2742 | 140 | 71${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ | 125 | | 336${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ |
| 3 | Teimour Radjabov (AZE) | 2710 | | 71${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ | 170 | 71${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ | 312${\tfrac {6}{7}}$ |
| 4 | Ding Liren (CHN) | 2760 | 70 | 170 | | 71${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ | 311${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ |
| 5 | Dmitry Jakovenko (RUS) | 2709 | 70 | | 11 | 155 | 236 |
| 6 | Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA) | 2796 | 140 | 71${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ | | 20 | 231${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ |
| 7 | Hikaru Nakamura (USA) | 2785 | 70 | 71${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ | | 71${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ | 212${\tfrac {6}{7}}$ |
| 8 | Peter Svidler (RUS) | 2748 | | 71${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ | 60 | 71${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ | 202${\tfrac {6}{7}}$ |
| 9 | Ian Nepomniachtchi (RUS) | 2749 | 70 | 3 | 125 | | 198 |
| 10 | Levon Aronian (ARM) | 2785 | 7 | | 11 | 155 | 173 |
| 11 | Pentala Harikrishna (IND) | 2758 | | 20 | 60 | 71${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ | 151${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ |
| 12 | Anish Giri (NED) | 2769 | | 71${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ | 60 | 6 | 137${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ |
| 13 | Michael Adams (ENG) | 2751 | 70 | 3 | 60 | | 133 |
| 14 | Richárd Rapport (HUN) | 2692 | 25 | | 2${\tfrac {1}{2}}$ | 71${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ | 98${\tfrac {13}{14}}$ |
| 15 | Evgeny Tomashevsky (RUS) | 2711 | 3 | 20 | | 71${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ | 94${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ |
| 16 | Li Chao (CHN) | 2720 | 25 | | 60 | 6 | 91 |
| 17 | Hou Yifan (CHN) | 2651 | 7 | 71${\tfrac {3}{7}}$ | 2${\tfrac {1}{2}}$ | | 80${\tfrac {13}{14}}$ |
| 18 | Alexander Riazantsev (RUS) | 2671 | 1 | | 60 | 3 | 64 |
| 19 | Pavel Eljanov (UKR) | 2759 | 25 | | 11 | 20 | 56 |
| 20 | Francisco Vallejo Pons (ESP) | 2709 | 25 | 7 | | 6 | 38 |
| 21 | Boris Gelfand (ISR) | 2720 | | 20 | 11 | 1${\tfrac {1}{2}}$ | 32${\tfrac {1}{2}}$ |
| 22 | Ernesto Inarkiev (RUS) | 2723 | | 1 | 4 | 20 | 25 |
| 23 | Jon Ludvig Hammer (NOR) | 2628 | 3 | 7 | | 1${\tfrac {1}{2}}$ | 11${\tfrac {1}{2}}$ |
| 24 | Salem Saleh (UAE) | 2656 | 3 | 3 | 1 | | 7 |
* Wei Yi was replaced by Hou Yifan.