The FIDE World Cup 2019 takes place in Khanty-Mansiysk on September 9 - October 4.
The competition is a part of the World Championship cycle. 128 players from 47 countries participate in the 7-round elimination tournament. Both finalists of World Cup qualify to the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2020.
All matches except for the final and the match for 3rd place consist of two games with FIDE time control: 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting from move 1. The final and the match for 3rd place consist of four games.
If the score is level after the two regular games, tie-breaks games are played with the control of 25 minutes for each player + 10 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1. If the score remains tied, the two blitz games with 10 minutes + 10 seconds per move ensue. If the score remains tied, the next two games are played with the control of 5 minutes + 3 seconds per move. Finally, if the score remains level, then one sudden-death game is played. The player who wins the drawing of lots may choose the colour. The player with the white pieces receives 5 minutes, the player with the black pieces receives 4 minutes; after move 60, both players receive an increment of 2 seconds per move, starting from move 61. In case of a draw, the player with the black pieces is declared the winner.
The total prize fund of the tournament is 1,600,000 USD.
Russia is represented by 28 players, followed by India – 10, China – 7, and USA – 6.
In the absence of Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana, grandmaster Ding Liren (2811, China) is the highest-rated participant of the World Cup. Other famous players participating in the event include Anish Giri (2780, Netherlands), Ian Nepomniachtchi (2776, Russia), Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2774, France), Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2767, Azerbaijan), Wesley So (2767, USA), Yu Yangyi (2763, China), Lenier Dominguez Perez (2763, USA), Sergey Karjakin (2760, Russia), and other chess stars.
The 14-year-old Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan) is the youngest player of the field. The Indian prodigy Nihal Sarin is only a couple of months older. The most experienced player Essam El-Gindy (Egypt) is 53.
The list of former winners of the World Cup includes Vishwanathan Anand (India), Levon Aronian (Armenia), Gata Kamsky (USA), Boris Gelfand (Israel), Peter Svidler, Vladimir Kramnik, and Sergey Karjakin (all – Russia).
This is the fifth time Khanty-Mansiysk is hosting the World Cup.
