2024 Candidates Tournament Set

by Brett Morrison | Jan 3, 2024 | Uncategorized

The table is set for the biggest tournament in chess. Eight grandmasters have been named candidates for the 2024 World Championship. These eight players will compete in a double round-robin tournament, The Candidates Tournament, for the right to challenge sitting World Champion GM Ding Liren. The candidates are listed below:

            There are several items of note from this list of candidates. First, the top player in the world, Magnus Carlsen, is not present. Though he qualified for the tournament, he said that “there is absolutely no chance” that he will play in the tournament. Nijat Abasov, by far the lowest-rated candidate, will replace Carlsen based on Abasov’s performance at the 2023 Chess World Cup. Carlsen’s decision mirrors his decision not to defend his World Championship in 2022.

            Second, there are three candidates from India, a feat that India has never achieved. Third, current world champion Ding Liren is only the 4^th highest-ranked player in the world. His grasp on the World Championship is tenuous, and the winner of the candidates will have an excellent chance at becoming the next World Champion.

            The 2024 Candidates Tournament will take place in Toronto, Canada from April 2^nd to April 25^th.