World Chess Championship 2023

As world champion Carlsen announced after the tournament that he would not defend the world title, both first and second place advanced to the 2023 title match.

Standings of the 2022 Candidates Tournament

Rank	Player	Score	SB	Wins	Qualification		IN		DL		TR		HN		FC		AF		JKD		RR
1	Ian Nepomniachtchi (FIDE)	9.5 / 14	62	5	Advances to title match				½	1	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	1	½	½	1
2	Ding Liren (CHN)	8 / 14	52	4	Advances to title match		0	½			0	½	1	½	½	1	½	½	1	½	½	1
3	Teimour Radjabov (AZE)	7.5 / 14	52	3			½	½	½	1			1	0	½	0	½	½	½	½	½	1
4	Hikaru Nakamura (USA)	7.5 / 14	50.25	4			½	½	½	0	1	0			1	0	1	½	1	½	½	½
5	Fabiano Caruana (USA)	6.5 / 14	46.5	3			½	½	0	½	1	½	1	0			0	1	½	0	½	½
6	Alireza Firouzja (FRA)	6 / 14	39.5	2			0	0	½	½	½	½	½	0	0	1			½	½	1	½
7	Jan-Krzysztof Duda (POL)	5.5 / 14	38.5	1			½	0	½	0	½	½	½	0	1	½	½	½			½	0
8	Richárd Rapport (HUN)	5.5 / 14	37.75	1			0	½	0	½	0	½	½	½	½	½	½	0	1	½

Tie-breakers for first place: (1) results in tie-break games for first place;

Tie breakers for non-first place: (1) results in tie-break games for first place, if any; (2) Sonneborn–Berger score (SB); (3) total number of wins; (4) head-to-head score among tied players; (5) drawing of lots.[17]

Note: Numbers in the crosstable in a white background indicate the result playing the respective opponent with the white pieces (black pieces if on a black background).

The match is taking place in Astana, Kazakhstan, from 7 April to 1 May 2023 at the St Regis Astana Hotel.[18][1]

The prize fund is €2 million, split 60% vs 40% between the winner and the runner-up if either player scores 7½ or more points in the classical portion of the match. If the match is tied after 14 classical games, the prize fund will be split 55% vs 45% in favor of the winner of the tiebreak.[19]

The chief arbiter is Nebojsa Baralic from Serbia, and the deputy arbiter is Gerhard Bertagnolli from Italy.[20]

The first move of each game will be ceremonially performed by guests invited by the organisers:

The time control for each game in the classical portion of the match will be 120 minutes per side for the first 40 moves, 60 minutes for the next 20 moves, and 15 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment per move starting with move 61.[21]

The match will be a best of 14 games; a score of at least 7½ would win the world championship. If the score is equal after 14 games, tiebreak games with faster time controls will be played:[21]

• A match consisting of 4 rapid games with 25 minutes per side and a 10-second increment starting with move 1 will be played. If a player scores 2½ points or more, he would win the championship.
• If the score is equal after the rapid portion, a mini-match of two blitz games will be played, with a time control of 5 minutes per side and a 3-second increment starting with move 1. If a player scores 1½ points or more, he would win the championship. If the blitz mini-match is tied, another mini-match with the same conditions will be played to decide the winner of the championship.
• If both blitz mini-matches are drawn, a single game with a time control of 3 minutes per side and a 2-second increment starting with move 1 will be played, and the winner would win the championship. A drawing of lots shall decide which player plays with the white pieces. If this game is drawn, another blitz game with reversed colours will be played with the same time control, and the winner would win the championship. This process will be repeated until either player wins a game.

Players will not be allowed to agree to a draw before Black's 40th move. A draw claim before then will only be permitted if a threefold repetition or stalemate has occurred.[21]

The pre-match head-to-head score between Nepomniachtchi and Ding in classical games is: 3 wins for Nepomniachtchi, 2 wins for Ding, with 8 draws.[22] Their most recent pre-championship games, during the 2022 Candidates tournament, resulted in one win to Nepomniachtchi and one draw.[23][24]

Games will start at 15:00 local time (EKT), which is 09:00 UTC.

Colours were drawn at the opening ceremony using artificial intelligence, as Nepomniachtchi received the white pieces for the first game. Colours alternated thereafter, with no switching at the halfway point.[25]

The closing ceremony will be held on 30 April if a player has already won the match in the classical portion.

If the match ends before 14 games (because one player has reached 7½ or more points), the closing ceremony will be conducted either on the day of the last game or the following day of the last game.