The event will be held in the Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center, with the tournament employing a knock-out format starting with 16 players.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFIsraelis wait for their turn to play against former Indian chess world champion Viswanathan Anand and former Russian chess world champion Anatoly Karpov (both not pictured) as they play simultaneous matches against tens of Israeli players during an event marking Israel's 70th anniversary at Jerusale(photo credit: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun)
The FIDE World Chess Grand Prix Series 2019 will hold its final leg in Jerusalem beginning December 11.The 12-day international competition marks the first time that Jerusalem will be hosting a leg of the World Chess Championship cycle, with 16 of the world’s top grandmasters continuing their battle for the €800,000 prize as well as two spots in the next year’s Candidates Tournament. The winners will have a chance to face reigning World Champion Magnus Carlsen in the 2020 Championship Match.The event will be held at the Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center, with the tournament employing a knock-out format starting with 16 players. To win a Grand Prix, a player must defeat opponents in four rounds. Each round consists of two games with classic time control, and a series of tie-breaks in case of a tie. Unlike many other chess events, there are few draws and a clear winner in every round.Top-ranked Anish Giri of the Netherlands, Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France are slated to headline the competition, which will feature top grandmasters from nine countries.
