Connect With Us

World Chess Champion

Magnus Carlsen

Magnus Carlsen will defend his title in Dubai beginning November 24 and running through December 16, 2021.

The World Chess Championship match will consist of 14 Classical Chess games and a 2,000,000 Euro prize fund ($2,427,498.00 USD) with 60% going to the winner and 40% to the runner-up.

Magnus will play the winner of the 2020-2021 FIDE Candidates Tournament in Russia, which was postponed at the halfway point in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The second half of the Candidates Tournament is now rescheduled to take place during the last two weeks of April 2021 in Yekaterinburg, Russia.


Who Will Challenge
Magnus Carlsen
in
November-December 2021?

2020 World Chess Candidates Photo - March 17, 2020

Only one of these eight top rated chess players in the world will earn the right to challenge Magnus Carlsen for the World Chess Championship match scheduled for November-December 2021 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.


Candidates Tournament Suspended

Standings after Round 7

Round 7 Standings when FIDE suspended 2020 World Chess Candidates Tournament

At the midpoint, Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi and France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave are tied for 1st place.

See Postponed Pairings below.


Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi

7 Rounds to Go

Tied for 1st Place

Ian Neopmniachtchi Round 6 with man bun looking over the chessboard at 2020 World Chess Candidates Tournament

#5 Rated Chess Player in the World


France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave

7 Rounds to Go

Tied for 1st Place

Round 7 France's Maxime Vachier-Lagrave wins at 2020 World Chess Candidates Tournament

#8 Rated Chess Player in the World


The 2020-21 Candidates Tournament

The 14-round Candidates Tournament started in the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Yekaterinburg, Russia–an 8-player double round-robin that will decide who challenges Magnus Carlsen for the World Championship match that’s set to take place in Dubai in November-December 2021.

Who’s Playing?

Candidates’ March 2020 World Chess Ratings

1. #2 Ranked – Fabiano Caruana, USA, rated 2842, 27 years old.

2. #3 Ranked – Ding Liren, China, rated 2805, 27 years old.

3. #4 Ranked – Alexander Grischuk, Russia, rated 2777, 36 years old.

4. #5 Ranked – Ian Nepomniachtchi, Russia, rated 2774, 29 years old.

5. #9 Ranked – Teimour Radjabov, Azerbaijani, rated 2765, 33 years old. ***

5. #8 Ranked – Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, France, rated 2767 – 29 years old.

6. #11 Ranked – Anish Giri, Netherlands, rated 2763, 25 years old.

7. #12 Ranked – Wang Ho, China, rated 2762, 30 years old.

8. #39 Ranked – Kirill Alekseenko, Russia, rated 2698, 22 years old.

*** Two weeks before the Candidates Tournament, Azerbaijani’s Teimour Radjabov withdrew from the Candidates Tournament, citing personal reasons.

The # 8 ranked chess player in the world, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave from France, is his replacement in Yekaterinburg.


USA’s Fabiano Caruana

Rated 2842

Born: July 30, 1992 (28 years old) in Miami, Florida, USA

Fabiano Caruana sitting at chessboard #2 in World March 2020

#2 Rated Chess Player in the World

Fabiano challenged Magnus in the 2018 World Chess Championship in a 12-game match in London, and played to 12 draws in Classical Chess, only to lose the match in a Rapid Chess tiebreak playoff.

Fabiano must win the Candidates Tournament to challenge Magnus in the World Chess Championship match in November-December 2021.


Norway’s Magnus Carlsen

World Chess Champion

Rated 2862

Born: November 30, 1990 (age 29 years) in Tønsberg, Norway

2020 March - Magnus Carlsen is the #1 chess player in the world

#1 Rated Chess Player in the World


2021 Candidates Tournament

Pairings

Although the dates will be different in April 2021, the pairings below will remain the same for Rounds 8-14.

Pairings Round by Round for 2020 FIDE Candidates Tournament


In the meantime…

Chess Champions Start Here!

Thank you for your support!

Available Now

 

Beginner’s Book – Chess Rules For Students

Chess Rules For Students workbook

Chess Rules For Students is a workbook for students learning the game of chess and for beginning students returning to the game. No previous knowledge of chess is necessary. Parents unfamiliar with chess will find this booklet a valuable guide to their child’s new interest.

Chess Rules For Students is designed with students, coaches, and parents in mind. Reading level is appropriate for grade-school use. All major rules of chess are covered, and algebraic notation worksheets are included. Each page is in easy-to-use worksheet format.

A student-friendly Answer Key makes self-correction fun!


 

Beginners & Intermediate Book – Checkmate! Ideas For Students

Checkmate! Ideas For Students

Checkmate! Ideas For Students is a workbook for beginning and intermediate students. Checkmate! covers the tactics used in checkmate attacks with clear explanations, diagrams and arrows to pinpoint the key features.

Unlike many other basic checkmate books, Checkmate! categorizes the checkmates by the tactics used to force the checkmate–like Pins, Sacrifices, Removing the Guard, Attraction, Clearance and Attacking Flight Squares–rather than only the checkmate pattern itself.

The worksheets and Answer Key are clear and simple for the student to use, and easy for the parent, teacher and coach to correct! Fun!


 

Intermediate & Advanced Book – Chess Tactics For Students

Chess Tactics For Students workbook

Chess Tactics For Students contains 434 carefully selected problems in worksheet format.

Chess Tactics has been extensively field tested with elementary, middle-school, and high-school students over a four-year period. This book is ideal for independent seat work as well as for homework and classroom instruction.

The worksheet format and Answer Key enable self-correction with minimal dependence or direct help from a chess teacher, coach, or parent.


Chess for Students Shop Now

SOLVE A PUZZLE & WIN!

Solve a chess puzzle, enter the weekly drawing as often as you like, and win awesome prizes! Winners’ prizes are listed below. If you don’t win this week, try again next week! New puzzles are posted daily!

CHESS PUZZLES WEEKLY PRIZES

Below are the weekly prizes we send out! If you don’t win, try again the following week for your chance to win! Click on the prize to learn more about it.

Checkmate In One Prize
Chess Rules For Students Workbook
An instructional workbook designed for students learning the game of chess. Click here to learn more!
Checkmate In Two Prize
Checkmate! Ideas For Students
An instructional workbook containing tactics in worksheet format used to checkmate--like Pins, Sacrifices, Removing the Guard, Attraction, Clearance, and Attacking Flight Squares!
Checkmate In Three Prize
Chess Tactics For Students
An instructional workbook containing 434 carefully selected problems presented in worksheet format.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This