The Worldwide Chess Federation (FIDE) is shifting from its conventional 21-round Swiss format within the 2024 World Blitz Championship in New York, introducing a mixed Swiss-and-knockout format.
Only a week after FIDE introduced a change of schedule for the World Speedy & Blitz Championships, introducing a relaxation day and lengthening the occasion to 6 days, the governing chess physique revealed one other twist on Thursday.
As a substitute of the normal 21-round Swiss occasion, which has been in place since 2014, the World Blitz Chess Championship will transfer to a two-stage format. The primary section will comply with the acquainted Swiss system, however shortening it to 13 rounds for the Open part and 11 rounds for the Girls’s. As a substitute of continuous with the Swiss on day two, the top-eight gamers will transfer to a knockout bracket consisting of four-game matches all through the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the ultimate.
“This isn’t solely way more thrilling but additionally will permit for the direct match-ups of the strongest gamers to determine the winners,” FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky mentioned in a press release.
Whereas most gamers will now be capable of return dwelling for New 12 months celebrations, the 2 finalists can have gone by means of a minimal of 25 blitz video games, excluding attainable tiebreaks. FIDE didn’t but announce the complete rules for the occasion.
FIDE’s resolution to introduce a knockout section probably comes from a need to extend the competitiveness as a result of prevalence of brief attracts which have occurred within the closing rounds of earlier blitz occasions. Many prime gamers opted for fast attracts in an effort to safe a money prize, moderately than combat for medals.
“The Blitz format permits for the matches of 4 video games to be performed at every stage of the KO [knockout], while a long-enough qualifier with eight spots reduces the function of probability. Oftentimes, there’s a trade-off between goal benefit and attractiveness–right here, we can have each,” Sutovsky mentioned.
Making it into the top-eight, nevertheless, will not be a straightforward feat—even for GM Magnus Carlsen. Final yr’s round-13 standings present that the defending champion would have narrowly made it to the knockout stage if at present’s adjustments had been in impact.
The 2024 World Speedy & Blitz Chess Championships will happen in New York’s Wall Avenue district from December 26 to 31. The precise location is but to be introduced. The remaining day on December 29 is devoted to Chess Davos, a convention exploring the intersection between chess and finance, in response to FIDE.
A preliminary listing of individuals is but to be introduced, however along with Carlsen, prime U.S. gamers similar to GMs Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura are anticipated to participate. GM Anish Giri appears to be planning his participation in addition to he commented to FIDE’s introduced adjustments on X:
You are able to do these items later. First please safe the occasion and let the gamers guide the flights and lodging.
— Anish Giri (@anishgiri) September 5, 2024
