Grand Chess Tour 2018

The Grand Chess Tour 2018 was a circuit of chess tournaments, held from June to December 2018. It was the fourth edition of Grand Chess Tour. The series consisted of four events, including 1 classical and 3 fast chess tournaments, as well as Tour Final in London. It was won by Hikaru Nakamura.^[1]

Grand Chess Tour

2018
2018 Grand Chess Tour winner Hikaru Nakamura.
Tournament information
Dates	10 June–21 December 2019
Host(s)	Leuven Paris St. Louis London
Final positions
Champion	Hikaru Nakamura
Runner-up	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
3rd place	Fabiano Caruana
Tournament statistics
Most tournament titles	Hikaru Nakamura (3)
Prize money leader	Hikaru Nakamura ($225,000)
Points leader	Hikaru Nakamura (34.5)
← 2017 2019 →

Format

The tour consisted of four events, including three rapid and blitz and one classical event, and concluded in Tour Finals in London, where four top scorers qualified.^[2] Each event consisted of 9 regular tour participants and 1 wildcard. Scoring system looked as follows:

Place	Points (classical)	Points (rapid/blitz)
1st	18/20*	12/13*
2nd	15	10
3rd	12	8
4th	10	7
5th	8	6
6th	6	5
7th	4	4
8th	3	3
9th	2	2
10th	1	1

Lineup

The field was announced on January 29, 2018.^[3] The lineup was selected based on several criteria, including top three finish in previous edition, URS, average FIDE rating from February 1, 2017, to January 1, 2018, and personal invitation by GCT Advisory Board. Initially, it consisted of ten players, including reigning World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen and his predecessors – Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik. However, Carlsen and Kramnik declined the invitations, with number of players reducing to nine and last spot being given to Sergey Karjakin. Both Carlsen and Kramnik later played as wildcards.

Player	Country	Rating (January 2018)	Eligility criteria
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave	France	2793	Runner-up of 2017 Grand Chess Tour
Levon Aronian	Armenia	2797	Third place in 2017 Grand Chess Tour
Fabiano Caruana	United States	2811	Average rating
Wesley So	United States	2792	Average rating
Hikaru Nakamura	United States	2781	URS
Alexander Grischuk	Russia	2767	URS
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov	Azerbaijan	2804	URS
Viswanathan Anand	India	2767	Wildcard
Sergey Karjakin	Russia	2753	Replacement

Schedule and results

Dates	Tournament	Host city	Winner
10–17 June	Your Next Move Rapid and Blitz	Leuven	Wesley So
17–26 June	Paris Rapid and Blitz	Paris	Hikaru Nakamura
9–16 August	Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz	St. Louis	Hikaru Nakamura
16–29 August	Sinquefield Cup	St. Louis	Magnus Carlsen (WC) Levon Aronian Fabiano Caruana
11–17 December	London Chess Classic	London	Hikaru Nakamura

Tournaments

Your Next Move Rapid and Blitz

First leg of 2018 Grand Chess Tour took place on June 12–16 in Leuven City Hall, Leuven, Belgium. The wildcard for the event was Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri, who ultimately finished on last place. The tournament was won by Wesley So.^[4][5][6]

2018 Your Next Move, June 12–16 Leuven, Belgium

	Player	Rapid	Blitz	Total	TB	Tour Points	Prize money
1	Wesley So (USA)	14	8	22		13	$37,000
2	Sergey Karjakin (RUS)	10	11½	21½		9	$22,500
3	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)	11	10½	21½		9	$22,500
4	Hikaru Nakamura (USA)	10	11	21		7	$15,000
5	Levon Aronian (ARM)	11	9½	20½		6	$12,500
6	Alexander Grischuk (RUS)	8	9½	17½		5	$10,000
7	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)	9	8	17		4	$7,500
8	Viswanathan Anand (IND)	5	9½	14½		3	$7,500
9	Fabiano Caruana (USA)	7	6½	13½		2	$7,500
10	Anish Giri (NED)	5	6	11		WC (1)	$7,500

Your Next Move Rapid, June 12–14

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Points
1	Wesley So (USA)	2763	Does not appear	1	1	2	1	2	2	2	1	2	14
2	Levon Aronian (ARM)	2795	1	Does not appear	1	2	0	1	1	2	1	2	11
3	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)	2777	1	1	Does not appear	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	11
4	Hikaru Nakamura (USA)	2813	0	0	1	Does not appear	1	2	2	0	2	2	10
5	Sergey Karjakin (RUS)	2743	1	2	1	1	Does not appear	1	2	0	1	1	10
6	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)	2766	0	1	1	0	1	Does not appear	1	2	2	1	9
7	Alexander Grischuk (RUS)	2783	0	1	1	0	0	1	Does not appear	2	2	1	8
8	Fabiano Caruana (USA)	2753	0	0	1	2	2	0	0	Does not appear	0	2	7
9	Viswanathan Anand (IND)	2822	1	1	0	0	1	0	0	2	Does not appear	0	5
10	Anish Giri (NED)	2779	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	0	2	Does not appear	5

Your Next Move Blitz, June 15–16

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Points
1	Sergey Karjakin (RUS)	2816	Does not appear	½ ½	1 0	½ 0	1 1	½ ½	1 0	½ 1	1 1	½ 1	11½
2	Hikaru Nakamura (USA)	2878	½ ½	Does not appear	0 0	1 ½	0 1	1 1	1 1	1 1	½ 0	0 1	11
3	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)	2837	0 1	1 1	Does not appear	½ 1	0 0	½ 1	½ 0	½ ½	½ 1	1 ½	10½
4	Alexander Grischuk (RUS)	2831	½ 1	0 ½	½ 0	Does not appear	½ 1	1 0	½ 1	½ ½	1 0	½ ½	9½
5	Viswanathan Anand (IND)	2817	0 0	1 0	1 1	½ 0	Does not appear	0 ½	½ ½	½ ½	1 1	½ 1	9½
6	Levon Aronian (ARM)	2809	½ ½	0 0	½ 0	0 1	1 ½	Does not appear	1 ½	½ ½	1 0	1 1	9½
7	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)	2757	0 1	0 0	½ 1	½ 0	½ ½	0 ½	Does not appear	1 1	½ ½	0 ½	8
8	Wesley So (USA)	2856	½ 0	0 0	½ ½	½ ½	½ ½	½ ½	0 0	Does not appear	½ 1	1 1	8
9	Fabiano Caruana (USA)	2818	0 0	½ 1	½ 0	0 1	0 0	0 1	½ ½	½ 0	Does not appear	½ ½	6½
10	Anish Giri (NED)	2799	½ 0	1 0	0 ½	½ ½	½ 0	0 0	1 ½	0 0	½ ½	Does not appear	6

Paris Rapid and Blitz

Paris Grand Chess Tour took place on June 20–24 in Paris, France and was second event of 2018 Grand Chess Tour. Former world champion Vladimir Kramnik played as wildcard. The event was won by Hikaru Nakamura.^[7][8]

2018 Paris GCT, June 20–24 Paris, France

	Player	Rapid	Blitz	Total	TB	Tour Points	Prize money
1	Hikaru Nakamura (USA)	11	12	23		13	$37,500
2	Sergey Karjakin (RUS)	11	10½	21½		10	$25,000
3	Wesley So (USA)	12	9	21		8	$20,000
4	Levon Aronian (ARM)	9	11	20		7	$15,000
5	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)	9	10½	19½		6	$12,500
6	Viswanathan Anand (IND)	9	8	17		5	$10,000
7	Alexander Grischuk (RUS)	7	9	16		4	$7,500
8	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)	7	8½	15½		3	$7,500
9	Fabiano Caruana (USA)	8	5½	13½		2	$7,500
10	Vladimir Kramnik (RUS)	7	6	13		WC (1)	$7,500

Paris GCT Rapid, June 20–22

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Points
1	Wesley So (USA)	2763	Does not appear	1	1	2	1	1	2	0	2	2	12
2	Sergey Karjakin (RUS)	2743	1	Does not appear	1	1	1	1	1	2	2	1	11
3	Hikaru Nakamura (USA)	2813	1	1	Does not appear	1	1	2	2	1	1	1	11
4	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)	2777	0	1	1	Does not appear	2	1	1	2	1	0	9
5	Levon Aronian (ARM)	2795	1	1	1	0	Does not appear	1	0	2	1	2	9
6	Viswanathan Anand (IND)	2822	1	1	0	1	1	Does not appear	1	1	2	1	9
7	Fabiano Caruana (USA)	2753	0	1	0	1	2	1	Does not appear	1	2	0	8
8	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)	2766	2	0	1	0	0	1	1	Does not appear	0	2	7
9	Vladimir Kramnik (RUS)	2775	0	0	1	1	1	0	0	2	Does not appear	2	7
10	Alexander Grischuk (RUS)	2783	0	1	1	2	0	1	2	0	0	Does not appear	7

Paris GCT Blitz, June 23–24

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Points
1	Hikaru Nakamura (USA)	2878	Does not appear	½ ½	½ ½	½ ½	½ ½	1 ½	0 1	½ 1	1 1	1 1	12
2	Levon Aronian (ARM)	2809	½ ½	Does not appear	½ ½	0 ½	½ ½	½ ½	½ 1	1 ½	1 1	½ 1	11
3	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)	2837	½ ½	½ ½	Does not appear	1 1	½ 0	½ ½	0 1	1 ½	1 0	1 ½	10½
4	Sergey Karjakin (RUS)	2816	½ ½	1 ½	0 0	Does not appear	1 ½	1 ½	0 ½	1 0	1 1	1 ½	10½
5	Wesley So (USA)	2856	½ ½	½ ½	½ 1	0 ½	Does not appear	0 ½	1 ½	½ ½	½ ½	½ ½	9
6	Alexander Grischuk (RUS)	2831	0 ½	½ ½	½ ½	0 ½	1 ½	Does not appear	½ ½	0 1	½ ½	1 ½	9
7	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)	2757	1 0	½ 0	1 0	1 ½	0 ½	½ ½	Does not appear	½ ½	0 1	0 1	8½
8	Viswanathan Anand (IND)	2817	½ 0	0 ½	0 ½	0 1	½ ½	1 0	½ ½	Does not appear	½ ½	½ 1	8
9	Vladimir Kramnik (RUS)	2793	0 0	0 0	0 1	0 0	½ ½	½ ½	1 0	½ ½	Does not appear	1 0	6
10	Fabiano Caruana (USA)	2799	0 0	½ 0	0 ½	0 ½	½ ½	0 ½	1 0	½ 0	0 1	Does not appear	5½

Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz

2018 Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz, August 10–16 St. Louis, Missouri, United States

	Player	Rapid	Blitz	Total	TB	Tour Points	Prize money
1	Hikaru Nakamura (USA)	12	10½	22½		13	$37,000
2	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)	8	13½	21½		10	$25,000
3	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)	12	9	21		8	$20,000
4	Fabiano Caruana (USA)	11	9	20		7	$15,000
5	Levon Aronian (ARM)	9	9	18		6	$12,000
6	Sergey Karjakin (RUS)	9	8	17		5	$10,000
7	Leinier Domínguez (CUB)	9	7	16		WC (4)	$7,500
8	Alexander Grischuk (RUS)	6	9½	15½		3	$7,500
9	Wesley So (USA)	8	7	15		2	$7,500
10	Viswanathan Anand (IND)	6	7½	13½		1	$7,500

Saint Louis Rapid, August 11-13

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Points
1	Hikaru Nakamura (USA)	2812	Does not appear	1	2	1	1	2	2	2	1	0	12
2	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)	2782	1	Does not appear	1	2	0	1	2	2	1	2	12
3	Levon Aronian (ARM)	2794	0	1	Does not appear	1	2	1	2	1	1	2	11
4	Sergey Karjakin (RUS)	2791	1	0	1	Does not appear	1	2	1	1	1	1	9
5	Fabiano Caruana (USA)	2785	1	2	0	1	Does not appear	0	1	1	2	1	9
6	Leinier Domínguez (CUB)	2754	0	1	1	0	2	Does not appear	1	2	1	1	9
7	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)	2796	0	0	0	1	1	1	Does not appear	1	2	2	8
8	Wesley So (USA)	2794	0	0	1	1	1	0	1	Does not appear	2	2	8
9	Alexander Grischuk (RUS)	2782	1	1	1	1	0	1	0	0	Does not appear	1	6
10	Viswanathan Anand (IND)	2771	2	0	0	1	1	1	0	0	1	Does not appear	6

Saint Louis Blitz, August 15–16

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Points
1	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)	2878	Does not appear	½ 1	½ 1	1 1	1 1	½ 0	1 ½	1 ½	1 1	½ ½	13½
2	Hikaru Nakamura (USA)	2913	½ 0	Does not appear	½ 1	1 1	½ 1	0 1	0 0	½ ½	1 ½	1 ½	10½
3	Alexander Grischuk (RUS)	2831	½ 0	½ 0	Does not appear	½ ½	1 ½	1 1	½ 1	0 ½	1 ½	½ 0	9½
4	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)	2795	0 0	0 0	½ ½	Does not appear	1 1	0 1	1 1	1 ½	½ 0	1 0	9
5	Fabiano Caruana (USA)	2709	0 0	½ 0	0 ½	0 0	Does not appear	½ 1	1 1	½ 1	1 ½	1 ½	9
6	Levon Aronian (ARM)	2871	½ 1	1 0	0 0	1 0	½ 0	Does not appear	½ 0	½ 1	½ 1	½ 1	9
7	Sergey Karjakin (RUS)	2898	0 ½	1 1	½ 0	0 0	0 0	½ 1	Does not appear	1 ½	½ ½	0 1	8
8	Viswanathan Anand (IND)	2812	0 ½	½ ½	1 ½	0 ½	½ 0	½ 0	0 ½	Does not appear	½ ½	½ 1	7½
9	Leinier Domínguez (CUB)	2687	0 0	0 ½	0 ½	½ 1	0 ½	½ 0	½ ½	½ ½	Does not appear	1 ½	7
10	Wesley So (USA)	2800	½ ½	0 ½	½ 1	0 1	0 ½	½ 0	1 0	½ 0	0 ½	Does not appear	7

Sinquefield Cup

The Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis, Missouri, United States was the last leg of 2018 Grand Chess Tour before the tour finals. Magnus Carlsen, Levon Aronian and Fabiano Caruana all shared first place by scoring 5½ out of 9.^[9]

6th Sinquefield Cup, 18–28 August 2018, St. Louis, Missouri, United States, Category XXII (2787.5)

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Points	H2H	Wins	Black	TPR	Tour Points
1–3	Magnus Carlsen (NOR)	2842		½	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	5½	1	2	0	2861	WC (15)
	Fabiano Caruana (USA)	2822	½		½	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	5½	1	2	0	2864	15
	Levon Aronian (ARM)	2767	½	½		½	1	½	½	½	½	1	5½	1	2	0	2870	15
4	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (AZE)	2801	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	1	½	½	5		1	0	2829	10
5	Alexander Grischuk (RUS)	2766	½	½	0	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	1	½	4½	1	1	1	2790	6
6–7	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)	2779	½	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	4½	1	0	0	2788	6
6–7	Viswanathan Anand (IND)	2768	½	½	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	4½	1	0	0	2790	6
8	Wesley So (USA)	2780	½	½	½	0	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	4		0	0	2745	3
9–10	Hikaru Nakamura (USA)	2777	0	0	½	½	0	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	3	½	0	0	2664	1.5
9–10	Sergey Karjakin (RUS)	2773	0	0	0	½	½	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	3	½	0	0	2664	1.5

Tour finals

In 2018, the London Chess Classic served as the semifinals and finals for the top 4 players from the 2018 Grand Chess Tour.

The players played 2 classical games, 2 rapid games, and 4 blitz games. 6 points were awarded for a win, 3 points for a draw and 0 points for a loss in classical play. In the Rapid games, 4 points were awarded for a win, 2 points for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. In the Blitz games, 2 points were awarded for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 point for a loss.

After seven consecutive draws that opened his final match with Vachier-Lagrave, Nakamura clinched an event victory by defeating Vachier-Lagrave in the fourth and final blitz game.

	Semifinals					Finals
	1	Hikaru Nakamura (United States)	18
	4	Fabiano Caruana (United States)	10
						1	Hikaru Nakamura (United States)	15
						3	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France)	13
	2	Levon Aronian (Armenia)	10
	3	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France)	18			Third place
						4	Fabiano Caruana (United States)	16
						2	Levon Aronian (Armenia)	12

Standings

	Player	Leuven	Paris	St. Louis	Sinquefield	Total points	PO	London	Prize money
1	Hikaru Nakamura (United States)	7	13	13	1.5	34.5	—	1st	$225,000
2	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France)	9	6	10	6	31	—	2nd	$160,000
3	Fabiano Caruana (United States)	2	2	7	15	26	1½	3rd	$145,000
4	Levon Aronian (Armenia)	6	7	6	15	34	—	4th	$135,000
5	Wesley So (United States)	13	8	2	3	26	½	—	$80,000
6	Sergey Karjakin (Russia)	9	10	5	1.5	25.5	—	—	$72,500
7	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan)	4	3	8	10	25	—	—	$65,000
8	Alexander Grischuk (Russia)	5	4	3	6	18	—	—	$45,000
9	Viswanathan Anand (India)	3	5	1	6	15	—	—	$45,000
	Magnus Carlsen (Norway)	—	—	—	15	15	—	—	$55,000
	Leinier Domínguez (Cuba)	—	—	4	—	4	—	—	$7,500
	Anish Giri (Netherlands)	1	—	—	—	1	—	—	$7,500
	Vladimir Kramnik (Russia)	—	1	—	—	1	—	—	$7,500