The FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament 2021 was a

chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to disti ...

tournament that forms part of the qualification cycle for the World Chess Championship 2022. It was an 11-round

Swiss-system tournament A Swiss-system tournament is a non-eliminating tournament format that features a fixed number of rounds of competition, but considerably fewer than for a round-robin tournament; thus each competitor (team or individual) does not play all the other ...

, with 108 players competing, running from 25 October to 8 November 2021 in

Riga Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

, in parallel with the

FIDE Women's Grand Swiss Tournament 2021 The FIDE Women's Grand Swiss Tournament 2021 was a chess tournament that forms part of the qualification cycle for the Women's World Chess Championship 2022. It was an 11-round Swiss-system tournament, with up to 50 players competing, ran from 27 ...

. The tournaments were held while Latvia was in a

COVID-19 lockdown Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of non-pharmaceutical interventions colloquially known as lockdowns (encompassing stay-at-home orders, curfews, quarantines, and similar societal restrictions) have been implemented in numerous countrie ...

, which led to a number of players withdrawing before the tournament began. The tournament was won by

Alireza Firouzja Alireza Firouzja ( fa, علی‌رضا فیروزجا, ; born 18 June 2003) is an Iranian and French chess grandmaster. Firouzja is the youngest ever 2800- rated player, beating the previous record set by Magnus Carlsen by more than five months ...

. The top two finishers, Firouzja and

Fabiano Caruana Fabiano Luigi Caruana (born July 30, 1992) is an American chess grandmaster. A chess prodigy, Caruana became a grandmaster at the age of 14 years, 11 months, and 20 days—the youngest grandmaster in the history of both Italy and the United Sta ...

, qualified for the

Candidates Tournament 2022 The 2022 Candidates Tournament was an eight-player chess tournament to decide the challenger for the World Chess Championship 2023. The tournament took place at the Palacio de Santoña in Madrid, Spain, from June 16 to July 5, 2022,Grigoriy Oparin Grigoriy Alekseyevich Oparin (russian: Григо́рий Алексе́евич Опа́рин; born 1 July 1997) is a Russian-American chess player. He was awarded the title Grandmaster by FIDE in 2013. Career Oparin was awarded the title ...

, Yu Yangyi,

Vincent Keymer Vincent Keymer (born 15 November 2004) is a German chess grandmaster, and a young chess prodigy. Chess career Vincent Keymer was born in Mainz, Germany, a city that has a long history of hosting rapid tournaments and Chess960 tournaments. He le ...

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (; born 21 October 1990), often referred to by his initials, MVL, is a French chess grandmaster who is the reigning World Blitz Chess Champion. With a peak rating of 2819, Vachier-Lagrave is the seventh-highest r ...

, Alexandr Predke and

Alexei Shirov Alexei Shirov (, lv, Aleksejs Širovs; born 4 July 1972) is a Latvian and Spanish chess player. Shirov was ranked number two in the world in 1994. He won a match against Vladimir Kramnik in 1998 to qualify to play as challenger for the classic ...

, qualified for the

FIDE Grand Prix 2022 The FIDE Grand Prix 2022 was a series of three chess tournaments played between 4 February and 4 April 2022. The top two finishers – Hikaru Nakamura (winner) and Richárd Rapport (runner-up) – qualified for the Candidates Tournament 2022,

Format

The tournament was played as an 11-round

Swiss system tournament A Swiss-system tournament is a non-eliminating tournament format that features a fixed number of rounds of competition, but considerably fewer than for a round-robin tournament; thus each competitor (team or individual) does not play all the other ...

Tie-breaks

For players who finish on the same score, final position is determined by the following tie-breaks, in order: * Buchholz Cut 1 method — "the sum of the scores of each of the opponents of a player" but "reduced by the lowest score of the opponents"; * Buchholz method — "the sum of the scores of each of the opponents of a player"; *

Sonneborn–Berger score The Sonneborn–Berger score (or the Neustadtl score) is a scoring system often used to break ties in chess tournaments. It is computed by summing the conventional score of each defeated opponent, and half the conventional score of each drawn opp ...

— "the sum of the scores of the opponents a player has defeated (including wins by forfeit) and half the scores of the players with whom he has drawn"; * The results of individual games between tied players; * Drawing of lots. This is a change from the 2019 tournament, in which the average opponent

rating A rating is an evaluation or assessment of something, in terms of quality, quantity, or some combination of both. Rating or ratings may also refer to: Business and economics * Credit rating, estimating the credit worthiness of an individual, c ...

(excluding the lowest rated opponent) was used as the first tie-break.

Venue and schedule

The tournament was originally scheduled to be running from 27 October to 7 November 2021 on the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...

.FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss and Women's Grand Swiss 2021 announced

FIDE The International Chess Federation or World Chess Federation, commonly referred to by its French acronym FIDE ( Fédération Internationale des Échecs), is an international organization based in Switzerland that connects the various national c ...

, 15 December 2020 However, due to complications arising from the

COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom The COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom is a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In the United Kingdom, it has resulted in confir ...

, FIDE announced it would change the venue. Their stated concerns were that too many attendees would have to self-isolate under COVID-19 travel quarantine rules in the United Kingdom. On 9 August FIDE announced

, capital of

, as the new venue. Due to a rise in COVID-19 cases, Latvia went into a

lockdown A lockdown is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks (such as COVID-19) that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely. The term is used for a prison ...

beginning on 21 October, but FIDE announced that the Grand Swiss tournaments were exempt from this lockdown, and would proceed as scheduled. The 11 rounds were played from 27 October to 7 November, with a rest day on 2 November. 25 October was scheduled as the "Arrivals" day, with the opening ceremony on 26 October and the closing ceremony on 8 November. Games start at 2pm local time.The Grand Swiss officially opened in Latvia

, October 26 2021 This corresponds to 1100 UTC from October 27 to 30, and 1200 UTC Time from October 31 onwards.

Qualifiers

Originally, 114 players were to be invited:Regulations for the FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss Tournament 2021

* 100 qualifiers by

: the top 100 by the average of the 12 rating lists from 1 July 2020 to 1 June 2021; * 1 place for the

Women's World Chess Champion The Women's World Chess Championship (WWCC) is played to determine the world champion in women's chess. Like the World Chess Championship, it is administered by FIDE. Unlike with most sports recognized by the International Olympic Committee, wh ...

Ju Wenjun Ju Wenjun (; born 31 January 1991) is a Chinese chess grandmaster. She is the current Women's World Chess Champion. In March 2017 she became the fifth woman to achieve a rating of 2600. She is a three-time Women's World Chess Champion having w ...

; * 4 places, one nominated by each of the four FIDE continental presidents; * 4 nominations of the FIDE president; * 5 nominations of the organizer, including 2 local nominees, and 1 online qualifier. In August 2021, a list of 100 qualifiers by rating, plus 20 reserves, was announced.FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss and Women’s Grand Swiss 2021: lists of qualified players

, 10 August 2021 A number of players declined invitations, including 12 of the top 20 qualifiers:

Magnus Carlsen Sven Magnus Øen Carlsen (born 30 November 1990) is a Norwegian chess grandmaster who is the reigning five-time World Chess Champion. He is also a three-time World Rapid Chess Champion and five-time World Blitz Chess Champion. Carlsen has h ...

and

Ian Nepomniachtchi Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi ( rus, Ян Алекса́ндрович Непо́мнящий, r=Yan Aleksandrovich Nepomnyashchiy, p=ˈjan ɐlʲɪkˈsandrəvʲɪtɕ nʲɪˈpomnʲɪɕːɪj, a=Ru-Ian Alexandrovich Nepomnyashchij.ogg; born 14 J ...

(playing the

World Chess Championship 2021 The World Chess Championship 2021 was a chess match between the reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen and the challenger Ian Nepomniachtchi to determine the World Chess Champion. It was held under the auspices of FIDE and played during Expo 202 ...

);

Teimour Radjabov Teimour Boris oghlu Radjabov (also spelled Teymur Rajabov; az, Teymur Boris oğlu Rəcəbov, ; born 12 March 1987) is an Azerbaijani chess grandmaster, ranked number 18 in the world A former child prodigy, he earned the title of Grandmaste ...

Sergey Karjakin Sergey Alexandrovich Karjakin, . (born 12 January 1990) is a Russian chess grandmaster (formerly representing Ukraine). A chess prodigy, he previously held the record for the world's youngest ever grandmaster, (until it was eventually taken b ...

and

Jan-Krzysztof Duda Jan-Krzysztof Duda (; born 26 April 1998) is a Polish chess grandmaster. A prodigy, he achieved the grandmaster title in 2013 at the age of 15 years and 21 days. he is ranked No. 1 in Poland and No. 18 in the world. His personal best rating ...

(already qualified for the Candidates); Wang Hao (retired); and

Ding Liren Ding Liren (; born 24 October 1992) is a Chinese chess grandmaster. He is the highest rated Chinese chess player in history and is also a three-time Chinese Chess Champion. He was the winner of the 2019 Grand Chess Tour, beating Maxime Vachi ...

Wesley So Wesley Barbossa So (born October 9, 1993) is a Filipino and American chess grandmaster and 3-time U.S. Chess Champion (in 2017, 2020, and 2021). He is also a three-time Philippine Chess Champion. On the March 2017 FIDE rating list, he was ran ...

, Anish Giri,

Leinier Domínguez Leinier Domínguez Pérez (born September 23, 1983) is a Cuban and American chess grandmaster. A five-time Cuban champion, Domínguez was the world champion in blitz chess in 2008. He competed in the FIDE World Chess Championship in 2002 and 2 ...

Viswanathan Anand Viswanathan "Vishy" Anand (born 11 December 1969) is an Indian chess grandmaster and a former five-time World Chess Champion. He became the first grandmaster from India in 1988, and is one of the few players to have surpassed an Elo rating of ...

and

Veselin Topalov Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov (pronounced ; bg, Весели́н Александров Топа́лов; born 15 March 1975) is a Bulgarian chess International Grandmaster, grandmaster and former FIDE World Chess Championship, World Chess Champ ...

. In September 2021, 114 players were announced as playing.2021 FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss and Women's Grand Swiss: the lists of players

, 1 October 2021 In the week before the tournament, a number of players withdrew due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic in Latvia. This included 5 of top 10 seeds:

Alexander Grischuk Alexander Igorevich Grischuk (born October 31, 1983) is a Russian chess grandmaster. Grischuk was the Russian champion in 2009. He is also a three-time world blitz chess champion (in 2006, 2012 and 2015). He has competed in five Candidates ...

Richárd Rapport Richárd Rapport (born 25 March 1996) is a Hungarian-Romanian chess grandmaster. A chess prodigy, he earned his grandmaster title at the age of 13 years, 11 months and 6 days, making him Hungary's youngest ever grandmaster. He was the Hungaria ...

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov Shahriyar Hamid oghlu Mammadyarov ( az, Şəhriyar Həmid oğlu Məmmədyarov; born 12 April 1985), known internationally as Shakhriyar Mamedyarov , is an Azerbaijani chess grandmaster. he is ranked No. 1 in Azerbaijan and No. 13 in the world. ...

Hikaru Nakamura Christopher Hikaru NakamuraVidit Gujrathi Vidit Santosh Gujrathi (born 24 October 1994) is an Indian chess grandmaster. He attained the title of grandmaster in January 2013, becoming the 30th player from India to do so. he is the second highest rated player in India (behind Viswana ...

; as well as

Lê Quang Liêm Lê Quang Liêm (born 13 March 1991) is a Vietnamese chess grandmaster, the top-ranked of his country. He was awarded the title of Grandmaster by FIDE in 2006. Liêm is the current Asian champion and was the World Blitz Chess Champion in 2013. ...

, Salem Saleh,

Bassem Amin Bassem Amin (; born 9 September 1988) is an Egyptian chess player and medical doctor. He was awarded the title Grandmaster by FIDE in 2006. Amin is the highest rated Egyptian and African player and the only medical doctor to have a FIDE peak ra ...

Gadir Guseinov Gadir Guseinov ( az, Qədir Hüseynov; born 21 May 1986) is an Azerbaijani chess grandmaster. he is ranked as No. 3 in Azerbaijan. Career Born in Moscow, Guseinov started playing chess under the guidance of Shahin Hajiev. He lived in his ...

Arkadij Naiditsch Arkadij Naiditsch ( az, Arkadi Naydiç; born 25 October 1985) is an Azerbaijani (since 2015) chess grandmaster who previously represented Latvia (until 2005) and Germany (2005–2015). Career In 1995 he won the European Under-10 champ ...

Étienne Bacrot Étienne Bacrot (; born 22 January 1983) is a French chess grandmaster, and as a child, a chess prodigy. He competed at the Candidates Matches in 2007 and won the Aeroflot Open in 2009. He passed 2700 FIDE rating in 2004 and in January 2005 ...

Maxime Lagarde Maxime Lagarde (born 16 March 1994) is a French chess grandmaster. He won the French Chess Championship in 2019. Chess career Born in 1994, Lagarde earned his international master title in 2011 and his grandmaster title in 2013. Lagarde fini ...

Sandro Mareco Sandro Fabio Mareco (born 13 May 1987) is an Argentine chess player. He was awarded the title of Grandmaster by FIDE in 2010. Mareco competed in the FIDE World Cup in 2011 (losing to Ferenc Berkes in the first round), 2013 (losing to David Na ...

Alexander Motylev Alexander Anatolyevich Motylev (russian: Александр Анатольевич Мотылёв; born 17 June 1979) is a Russian chess grandmaster. He was Russian champion in 2001 and European champion in 2014. Motylev is also Sergey Karjakin ...

Ilya Smirin Ilya (or Ilia) Smirin ( he, איליה יוליביץ' סמירין; russian: Илья Юльевич Смирин, Ilya Yulievich Smirin; born January 21, 1968) is a Byelorussian SSR-born and an Israeli chess player. He was awarded the title of ...

Aravindh Chithambaram Aravindh Chithambaram Veerappan (born 11 September 1999) is an Indian chess grandmaster. He won the Indian chess championships twice, in 2018 and 2019. Personal life Aravindh was born in Thirunagar in 1999. His father died when he was thre ...

and Robert Hess. The starting list of 108 participants is shown below.

Results

The following table lists all participants, with the results from the 11 rounds. They are ranked according to the results, taking into account the tie-breaks. Nikita Vitiugov, Yuriy Kryvoruchko and Nils Grandelius are tied for 23rd place, as they scored the same on all tie-breaks. Notation: "1 (W 102)" indicates a win (1 point) with white pieces (W) against player of rank 102 (David Paravyan). The first tiebreak (labeled BC1) is the Buchholz Cut 1 score, which was sufficient to determine the qualifiers.

Notes

References

External links

FIDE Grand Swiss 2021

official site.
FIDE Grand Swiss 2021
(Full standings and tie-break scores),

The Week in Chess ''The Week in Chess'' (TWIC) is a chess news web site. It was founded in 1994 and is based in the United Kingdom. ''TWIC'' has been edited by Mark Crowther since its inception in 1994. It began as a weekly Usenet Usenet () is a worldwide d ...

{{World Chess Championships FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament 2021 in chess 2021 in Latvian sport October 2021 sports events in Europe November 2021 sports events in Europe Chess in Latvia