FIDE Grand Prix 2012–13

The FIDE Grand Prix 2012–13 was a series of six chess tournaments that formed part of the qualification cycle for the World Chess Championship 2014. Veselin Topalov finished first, and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov second in the overall standings. Both therefore qualified for the 2014 Candidates Tournament.

FIDE Grand Prix Series 2012–13

FIDE Grand Prix 2012–13 winner Veselin Topalov
Tournament information
Sport	Chess
Location	London Tashkent Zug Thessaloniki Beijing Paris
Dates	21 September 2012– 3 October 2013
Administrator	FIDE
Tournament format(s)	Series of Round-robin tournaments
Final positions
Champion	Veselin Topalov
Runner-up	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
← FIDE Grand Prix 2008–2010 FIDE Grand Prix 2014–15 →

Format

Eighteen top players were selected to compete in these tournaments. Each player agrees and will contract to participate in four of these tournaments.

Each tournament is a 12-player, single round-robin tournament. This is a change to the 14 player tournaments last cycle. 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: 170 Grand Prix points for first place, 140 for second place, 110 for third place, and then 90 down to 10 points by steps of 10. In case of a tie in points the Grand Prix points are shared evenly by the tied players. Only the three best tournament results of each player are counted. The player with the most Grand Prix points is the winner.

Players and qualification

The three highest ranked players on the FIDE rating list chose not to enter the Grand Prix. Those are world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, 2008–2010 Grand Prix winner Levon Aronian and ex-world champion Vladimir Kramnik. World Champion Viswanathan Anand also declined participation.^[1] There were several ways to qualify for the Grand Prix series:

Player	Country	Qualifying method
Boris Gelfand	Israel	World Chess Championship 2012
Peter Svidler[1][5]	Russia	Chess World Cup 2011
Alexander Grischuk	Russia
Vassily Ivanchuk	Ukraine
Ruslan Ponomariov	Ukraine
Teimour Radjabov[3][4][5]	Azerbaijan	FIDE rating list (July 2011 and January 2012 average)
Sergey Karjakin[5]	Russia
Hikaru Nakamura	United States
Veselin Topalov	Bulgaria
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov	Azerbaijan
Vugar Gashimov[2]	Azerbaijan
Fabiano Caruana	Italy	FIDE President nominee
Alexander Morozevich	Russia	AGON nominees
Wang Hao	China
Peter Leko	Hungary
Leinier Domínguez	Cuba
Anish Giri	Netherlands
Rustam Kasimdzhanov	Uzbekistan
Michael Adams[1]	England	Replacements by rating
Gata Kamsky[2]	United States
Étienne Bacrot[3][5]	France
Wang Yue[4]	China
Evgeny Tomashevsky[5]	Russia
Laurent Fressinet[5]	France

Prize money and Grand Prix points

The prize money is €170,000 per single Grand Prix and €420,000 for the overall Grand Prix finishes.^[2]

Place	Single Grand Prix event	Overall standings	Grand Prix points
1	€25,000	€100,000	170
2	€22,500	€80,000	140
3	€20,000	€60,000	110
4	€17,500	€50,000	90
5	€15,000	€40,000	80
6	€13,000	€30,000	70
7	€12,000	€25,000	60
8	€11,000	€20,000	50
9	€10,000	€15,000	40
10	€9,000	–	30
11	€8,000	–	20
12	€7,000	–	10

Tie breaks

With the objective of determining qualifiers to play in the Candidates 2014, 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:^[2]

1. Ranking points of the fourth result not already taken in the top three ranking results.
2. Number of actual game result points scored in the best three tournaments.
3. Game points of the fourth result not already taken in the top three results.
4. Number of wins.
5. Drawing of lots.

Schedule

The six tournaments were:

No.	Host city	Date	Winners	Points (win/draw/loss)
1	London, England	21 September – 3 October 2012	Veselin Topalov (BUL)  Boris Gelfand (ISR)  Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)	7/11 (+3=8–0) 7/11 (+4=6–1) 7/11 (+4=6–1)
2	Tashkent, Uzbekistan	22 November – 4 December 2012	Sergey Karjakin (RUS)  Wang Hao (CHN)  Alexander Morozevich (RUS)	6½/11 (+3=7–1) 6½/11 (+3=7–1) 6½/11 (+4=5–2)
3	Zug, Switzerland	18–30 April 2013	Veselin Topalov (BUL)	8/11 (+5=6–0)
4	Thessaloniki, Greece	22 May – 3 June 2013	Leinier Domínguez (CUB)	8/11 (+6=4–1)
5	Beijing, China	4–16 July 2013	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)	7/11 (+5=4−2)
6	Paris, France	22 September – 4 October 2013	Fabiano Caruana (ITA)  Boris Gelfand (ISR)	7/11 (+4=6–1) 7/11 (+4=6–1)

The third stage of the Grand Prix was initially to be held in Lisbon, Portugal.^[3]

The fourth stage of the Grand Prix was initially to be held in Madrid, Spain.^[4]

The fifth stage of the Grand Prix was initially to be held in Berlin, Germany.^[5]

Events crosstables

London 2012

1st stage, London, England, 21 September – 3 October 2012^[6]

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Total	SB	TPR	GP
1	Veselin Topalov (BUL)	2752	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	1	1	½	7	36.25	2834	140
2	Boris Gelfand (ISR)	2738	½	Does not appear	½	0	½	1	1	½	1	½	½	1	7	35.75	2836	140
3	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)	2729	½	½	Does not appear	0	½	½	½	½	1	1	1	1	7	34.75	2836	140
4	Alexander Grischuk (RUS)	2754	½	1	1	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	6½	36.75	2801	90
5	Peter Leko (HUN)	2737	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	1	½	½	½	½	6	32.50	2770	80
6	Wang Hao (CHN)	2742	½	0	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	½	1	5½	28.75	2739	70
7	Michael Adams (ENG)	2722	½	0	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	0	½	½	1	5	26.75	2709	55
8	Vassily Ivanchuk (UKR)	2769	0	½	½	½	0	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	1	5	26.00	2705	55
9	Rustam Kasimdzhanov (UZB)	2684	½	0	0	½	½	½	1	½	Does not appear	½	½	0	4½	24.25	2680	35
10	Leinier Domínguez (CUB)	2725	0	½	0	½	½	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	4½	23.75	2677	35
11	Anish Giri (NED)	2730	0	½	0	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	0	4	22.00	2643	15
12	Hikaru Nakamura (USA)	2783	½	0	0	½	½	0	0	0	1	½	1	Does not appear	4	20.50	2638	15

Tashkent 2012

2nd stage, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, 22 November – 4 December 2012^[7]

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Total	H2H	Wins	SB	TPR	GP
1	Sergey Karjakin (RUS)	2775	Does not appear	½	1	½	0	½	½	½	1	½	1	½	6½	1½	3	34.75	2808	140
2	Wang Hao (CHN)	2737	½	Does not appear	½	1	1	0	½	½	½	½	½	1	6½	1	3	34.50	2811	140
3	Alexander Morozevich (RUS)	2748	0	½	Does not appear	1	½	½	½	1	0	½	1	1	6½	½	4	33.25	2810	140
4	Fabiano Caruana (ITA)	2786	½	0	0	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	1	6	1	3	29.50	2776	80
5	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)	2764	1	0	½	½	Does not appear	½	1	½	½	½	½	½	6	1	2	32.75	2777	80
6	Rustam Kasimdzhanov (UZB)	2696	½	1	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	½	½	6	1	1	33.25	2783	80
7	Peter Svidler (RUS)	2747	½	½	½	½	0	½	Does not appear	½	1	½	½	½	5½	1½	1	30.00	2747	50
8	Peter Leko (HUN)	2732	½	½	0	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	1	5½	1	1	28.75	2748	50
9	Ruslan Ponomariov (UKR)	2741	0	½	1	½	½	½	0	½	Does not appear	½	1	½	5½	½	2	29.50	2747	50
10	Boris Gelfand (ISR)	2751	½	½	½	0	½	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	0	4½	—	0	26.00	2683	30
11	Leinier Domínguez (CUB)	2726	0	½	0	0	½	½	½	½	0	½	Does not appear	1	4	—	1	20.50	2652	20
12	Gata Kamsky (USA)	2762	½	0	0	0	½	½	½	0	½	1	0	Does not appear	3½	—	1	19.25	2614	10

Zug 2013

3rd stage, Zug, Switzerland, 18–30 April 2013^[8]

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Total	H2H	Wins	SB	TPR	GP
1	Veselin Topalov (BUL)	2771	Does not appear	1	½	1	½	1	1	½	1	½	½	½	8	—	5	43.00	2924	170
2	Hikaru Nakamura (USA)	2767	0	Does not appear	½	½	½	1	½	½	½	½	1	1	6½	—	3	33.00	2818	140
3	Ruslan Ponomariov (UKR)	2733	½	½	Does not appear	1	1	½	½	½	½	0	½	½	6	1	2	33.50	2789	100
4	Fabiano Caruana (ITA)	2772	0	½	0	Does not appear	1	½	½	½	½	1	1	½	6	0	3	30.25	2785	100
5	Gata Kamsky (USA)	2741	½	½	0	0	Does not appear	1	1	½	½	1	0	½	5½	1	3	29.50	2756	75
6	Alexander Morozevich (RUS)	2758	0	0	½	½	0	Does not appear	½	1	½	1	1	½	5½	0	3	27.25	2756	75
7	Sergey Karjakin (RUS)	2786	0	½	½	½	0	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	1	5	1	1	26.00	2722	50
8	Anish Giri (NED)	2727	½	½	½	½	½	0	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	5	1	0	27.75	2727	50
9	Peter Leko (HUN)	2744	0	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	5	1	0	26.50	2725	50
10	Teimour Radjabov (AZE)	2793	½	½	1	0	0	0	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	4½	1	1	25.25	2689	20
11	Rustam Kasimdzhanov (UZB)	2709	½	0	½	0	1	0	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	4½	1	1	24.50	2696	20
12	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)	2766	½	0	½	½	½	½	0	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	4½	1	0	25.00	2691	20

Thessaloniki 2013

4th stage, Thessaloniki, Greece, 22 May – 3 June 2013^[9]

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Total	H2H	Wins	SB	TPR	GP
1	Leinier Domínguez (CUB)	2723	Does not appear	1	0	½	½	1	½	1	1	½	1	1	8	—	6	40.00	2926	170
2	Fabiano Caruana (ITA)	2774	0	Does not appear	1	½	½	½	½	1	½	1	1	1	7½	1	5	37.00	2883	125
3	Gata Kamsky (USA)	2741	1	0	Does not appear	½	½	1	1	½	1	½	1	½	7½	0	5	39.00	2886	125
4	Ruslan Ponomariov (UKR)	2742	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	0	½	½	½	1	½	1	6	½	2	31.00	2785	85
5	Alexander Grischuk (RUS)	2779	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	1	½	½	½	½	½	6	½	1	32.50	2782	85
6	Rustam Kasimdzhanov (UZB)	2699	0	½	0	1	½	Does not appear	1	½	½	½	½	½	5½	—	2	28.00	2757	70
7	Hikaru Nakamura (USA)	2775	½	½	0	½	0	0	Does not appear	1	1	½	½	½	5	—	2	25.50	2720	60
8	Veselin Topalov (BUL)	2793	0	0	½	½	½	½	0	Does not appear	½	0	1	1	4½	½	2	22.25	2686	45
9	Peter Svidler (RUS)	2769	0	½	0	½	½	½	0	½	Does not appear	1	0	1	4½	½	2	22.25	2688	45
10	Étienne Bacrot (FRA)	2725	½	0	½	0	½	½	½	1	0	Does not appear	½	0	4	½	1	22.50	2659	25
11	Alexander Morozevich (RUS)	2760	0	0	0	½	½	½	½	0	1	½	Does not appear	½	4	½	1	19.50	2656	25
12	Vassily Ivanchuk (UKR)	2755	0	0	½	0	½	½	½	0	0	1	½	Does not appear	3½	—	1	18.00	2621	10

Beijing 2013

5th stage, Beijing, China, 4–16 July 2013^[10]

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Total	H2H	Wins	SB	TPR	GP
1	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)	2761	Does not appear	0	1	½	1	½	0	1	½	1	1	½	7	—	5	37.00	2847	170
2	Alexander Grischuk (RUS)	2780	1	Does not appear	½	½	½	1	½	½	0	½	½	1	6½	—	3	35.25	2812	140
3	Veselin Topalov (BUL)	2767	0	½	Does not appear	½	1	½	1	0	1	½	½	½	6	½	3	31.75	2781	100
4	Peter Leko (HUN)	2737	½	½	½	Does not appear	1	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	6	½	1	32.75	2784	100
5	Sergey Karjakin (RUS)	2776	0	½	0	0	Does not appear	½	1	1	½	1	½	½	5½	2½	3	28.75	2750	65
6	Wang Yue (CHN)	2705	½	0	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	1	0	1	5½	1½	2	28.75	2755	65
7	Alexander Morozevich (RUS)	2736	1	½	0	½	0	½	Does not appear	½	1	½	0	1	5½	1	3	29.75	2752	65
8	Anish Giri (NED)	2734	0	½	1	½	0	½	½	Does not appear	1	0	½	1	5½	1	3	28.75	2753	65
9	Boris Gelfand (ISR)	2773	½	1	0	½	½	½	0	0	Does not appear	½	1	½	5	1½	2	27.75	2718	30
10	Wang Hao (CHN)	2752	0	½	½	½	0	0	½	1	½	Does not appear	½	1	5	1	2	26.00	2720	30
11	Vassily Ivanchuk (UKR)	2733	0	½	½	½	½	1	1	½	0	½	Does not appear	0	5	½	2	28.25	2722	30
12	Gata Kamsky (USA)	2763	½	0	½	½	½	0	0	0	½	0	1	Does not appear	3½	—	1	19.75	2618	10

Paris 2013

6th stage, Paris, France, 22 September – 4 October 2013^[11]

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Total	H2H	Wins	SB	TPR	GP
1	Fabiano Caruana (ITA)	2779	Does not appear	1	0	½	½	½	1	½	1	½	1	½	7	1	4	30.00	2840	155
2	Boris Gelfand (ISR)	2764	0	Does not appear	1	½	1	1	½	½	½	½	½	1	7	0	4	30.00	2841	155
3	Hikaru Nakamura (USA)	2772	1	0	Does not appear	1	½	½	1	½	½	½	½	½	6½	1	3	28.50	2807	100
4	Étienne Bacrot (FRA)	2723	½	½	0	Does not appear	½	½	½	1	½	½	1	1	6½	0	3	28.00	2811	100
5	Alexander Grischuk (RUS)	2785	½	0	½	½	Does not appear	½	1	½	½	½	0	1	5½	½	2	23.75	2743	75
6	Leinier Domínguez (CUB)	2757	½	0	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	½	1	5½	½	1	25.00	2745	75
7	Vassily Ivanchuk (UKR)	2731	0	½	0	½	0	½	Does not appear	½	½	1	1	½	5	2	2	20.75	2716	45
8	Ruslan Ponomariov (UKR)	2756	½	½	½	0	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	5	1½	0	23.75	2714	45
9	Evgeny Tomashevsky (RUS)	2703	0	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	5	1½	0	23.50	2718	45
10	Wang Hao (CHN)	2736	½	½	½	½	½	½	0	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	5	1½	0	24.50	2716	45
11	Laurent Fressinet (FRA)	2708	0	½	½	0	1	½	0	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	4½	—	1	18.75	2686	20
12	Anish Giri (NED)	2737	½	0	½	0	0	0	½	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	3½	—	0	15.50	2615	10

Grand Prix standings

Grand Prix points in bold indicate a tournament win. A number in brackets is a player's worst result of four and doesn't add to the total.

Veselin Topalov finished first, and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov was second in the overall standings. Thus, they qualified for the 2014 Candidates Tournament.^[12][13]

Karjakin and Svidler qualified for the Candidates by other paths, so are shown in light green.

	Player	FIDE rating Aug 2012	LON	TAS	ZUG	THE	BEI	PAR	Played	Best 3
1	Veselin Topalov (BUL)	2752	140	—	170	(45)	100	—	4	410
2	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)	2729	140	80	(20)	—	170	—	4	390
3	Fabiano Caruana (ITA)	2773	—	(80)	100	125	—	155	4	380
4	Boris Gelfand (ISR)	2738	140	(30)	—	—	30	155	4	325
5	Alexander Grischuk (RUS)	2763	90	—	—	85	140	(75)	4	315
6	Hikaru Nakamura (USA)	2778	(15)	—	140	60	—	100	4	300
7	Alexander Morozevich (RUS)	2770	—	140	75	(25)	65	—	4	280
8	Leinier Domínguez (CUB)	2725	35	(20)	—	170	—	75	4	280
9	Sergey Karjakin (RUS)[5]	2785	—	140	50	—	65	—	3	255
10	Wang Hao (CHN)	2726	70	140	—	—	(30)	45	4	255
11	Ruslan Ponomariov (UKR)	2734	—	50	100	85	—	(45)	4	235
12	Peter Leko (HUN)	2737	80	50	(50)	—	100	—	4	230
13	Gata Kamsky (USA)[2]	2746	—	10	75	125	(10)	—	4	210
14	Rustam Kasimdzhanov (UZB)	2684	35	80	(20)	70	—	—	4	185
15	Vassily Ivanchuk (UKR)	2769	55	—	—	(10)	30	45	4	130
16	Anish Giri (NED)	2711	15	—	50	—	65	(10)	4	130
17	Étienne Bacrot (FRA)[3][5]	2713	—	—	—	25	—	100	2	125
18	Peter Svidler (RUS)[1][5]	2749	—	50	—	45	—	—	2	95
19	Wang Yue (CHN)[4]	2685	—	—	—	—	65	—	1	65
20	Michael Adams (ENG)[1]	2722	55	—	—	—	—	—	1	55
21	Evgeny Tomashevsky (RUS)[5]	2730	—	—	—	—	—	45	1	45
22	Teimour Radjabov (AZE)[3][4][5]	2788	—	—	20	—	—	—	1	20
22	Laurent Fressinet (FRA)[5]	2714	—	—	—	—	—	20	1	20

Notes

• ¹ In the London Grand Prix, Adams replaced Svidler, who withdrew for family reasons.^[14]
• ² Kamsky replaced Gashimov, who had to withdraw his place due to illness before playing in any Grand Prix.^[15][16]
• ³ In the Thessaloniki Grand Prix, Bacrot replaced Radjabov, who withdrew for personal reasons.^[17]
• ⁴ Wang Yue replaced Radjabov in the Beijing Grand Prix.^[18]
• ⁵ Tomashevsky, Fressinet and Bacrot replaced Karjakin, Radjabov and Svidler in the Paris Grand Prix.^[19]