2024 Candidates qualification revised process

[LawrenceCooper]

All sorts of things one can say about this business, including that Rouen was really a pretty soft target - you would think that very many players in the world top 100 would have made 5/5 against the weaker five of Firouzja's opponents, so it was really a question of beating Kamsky. On which note, has anyone asked what he - Kamsky - was doing in Rouen? (Has he played there before? Was he invited by the organisers?).

Not that I can get too excited about this, after all the multitude of irregularities over the years - and few can doubt that the Candidates' will be considerably more interesting with Firouzja instead of So.

Doesn't Kamsky live in France?

[Matt Mackenzie]

Not that I can get too excited about this, after all the multitude of irregularities over the years - and few can doubt that the Candidates' will be considerably more interesting with Firouzja instead of So.

Its arguably sharp practice, but equally arguably its totally within the rules so quite legitimate.

And as others have already asked, why didn't So himself make more of an effort? I'm sure he could have done.

[Mick Norris]

Kamsky plays for Chartres with Firouzja according to something I read

[Paul Cooksey]

Kamsky played in the Chartres European Cup Team earlier this year.

It seems likely some players were encouraged to play at Rouen to ensure it was strong enough for Firouja to gain enough rating. But if that was all that was done, I'm ok with it for the same reasons as Jonathan.

[NickFaulks]

but may well be with Chartres depending if effective immediately can apply to an event that's already finished

Matches have to be manually approved for rating, and this approval is not given if their purpose looks as though it be rating manipulation. The Firouzja matches were never manually approved, because of the subterfuge of registering them as two player DRRs, so the question is not whether they will be disapproved retrospectively but whether they will be approved retrospectively.

I am no longer in charge of these decisions but Loz is right in his post above, I would not have been sympathetic.

[NickFaulks]

and few can doubt that the Candidates' will be considerably more interesting with Firouzja instead of So.

I doubt that. Sadly, I think that Firouzja is following Radjabov's path as a hugely talented played who has lost enthusiasm and is now just going through the motions.

Anyway, he won't be playing, will he?

[Jonathan Rogers]

Won't he? Why not? Not obvious what you are referring to.

Surely it is to soon to compare him with Radjabov. Time will tell on that score.

[Graham Borrowdale]

but may well be with Chartres depending if effective immediately can apply to an event that's already finished

Matches have to be manually approved for rating, and this approval is not given if their purpose looks as though it be rating manipulation. The Firouzja matches were never manually approved, because of the subterfuge of registering them as two player DRRs, so the question is not whether they will be disapproved retrospectively but whether they will be approved retrospectively.

I am no longer in charge of these decisions but Loz is right in his post above, I would not have been sympathetic.

It all sounds very subjective. If, instead of the 3 two-player double-round all-play-alls, the event had been organised as a single 4-player double-round all-play-all (in other words the other three players played superfluous games amongst themselves when they were not paired against Fitouzja), would that have satisfied criteria to be rated? Or, if the matches had been played 9 months ago, when their purpose would not have been so obvious, but the rating points could still be banked, would that have been ok, or maybe gone under the radar?
As with others, I am not terribly concerned, and it puts decision makers in a difficult position, but I do think sporting decisions need to be completely objective.

[Paul Cooksey]

I thought that Firouja's result at Rouen meant he got the rating spot even if the matches not rated?

[LawrenceCooper]

I thought that Firouja's result at Rouen meant he got the rating spot even if the matches not rated?

Correct. Alireza 2759 and Wesley 2757 on the January list (which appeared moments ago).

[Paul Heaton]

Correct. Alireza 2759 and Wesley 2757 on the January list (which appeared moments ago).

With the matches not rated. Meaning the win vs Kamsky was crucial to leapfrogging So, if the alternative path was beating a 2200-2300 player

[Mick Norris]

Firouzja and Gukesh get the last 2 spots then

[LawrenceCooper]

FIDE announce on Twitter that the Candidates line ups are complete. https://twitter.com/FIDE_chess/status/1 ... 7901050165

[Mick Norris]

Ian Nepomniachtchi (World Championship match runner-up)
Magnus Carlsen (#FIDEWorldCup winner)
Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu (#FIDEWorldCup runner-up)
Fabiano Caruana (#FIDEWorldCup up third place)
Vidit Gujrathi (#FIDEGrandSwiss winner)
Hikaru Nakamura (#FIDEGrandSwiss runner-up)
Alireza Firouzja (Best by #FIDErating)
Gukesh Dommaraju (#FIDECircuit winner)

Carlsen won't play, will he?

[LawrenceCooper]

Ian Nepomniachtchi (World Championship match runner-up)
Magnus Carlsen (#FIDEWorldCup winner)
Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu (#FIDEWorldCup runner-up)
Fabiano Caruana (#FIDEWorldCup up third place)
Vidit Gujrathi (#FIDEGrandSwiss winner)
Hikaru Nakamura (#FIDEGrandSwiss runner-up)
Alireza Firouzja (Best by #FIDErating)
Gukesh Dommaraju (#FIDECircuit winner)

Carlsen won't play, will he?

https://twitter.com/MagnusCarlsen/statu ... yifaFeez3Y