The Champions Chess Tour 2023 is an international chess event that takes place across the world. The newly revamped Champions Chess Tour runs from February 3 through December 15, 2023. It offers a number of different tournaments for players to take part in, and includes events like the Airthings Masters, the Chessable Masters and so on.
The Champions Chess Tour 2023 consists of six events, with a combined prize fund of $235,000 each. The winners qualifying for both the Playoff and Finals. Each event has a distinct prize fund, while players earn Tour Points according to their division and placement. Some of the biggest names in the game competing for over $2 million in prizes.
The tournament will feature the world’s top players, including GM Magnus Carlsen and GM Ian Nepomniachtchi, who will compete against each other to see who will claim the throne in 2023.
For Carlsen, this could be his last major tournament as world champion. It will appear at the 2023 Chessable Masters. The 32-year-old Norwegian will relinquish his title when he finds a successor.
Chess fans worldwide will have a unique chance to witness some of the top titled players compete. Additionally, it provides them with an opportunity to demonstrate their skills and take some time out from their busy schedules. It will be an enthralling contest that promises to attract millions of people around the world, as well as a huge audience on social media.
Table of Contents
Tour Schedule 2023
| Tournament | Dates |
|---|---|
| Airthings Masters | February 6–10 |
| Chessable Masters | April 3–7 |
| Event 3 | May 22–26 |
| Event 4 | July 10–14 |
| Event 5 | August 28 – September 1 |
| Event 6 | September 25–29 |
| CCT Playoffs | December 4–12 |
| CCT Finals | December 15–22 |
Format
The top three players from each event can participate in the upcoming Play-In, and grandmasters are eligible to participate. The Play-In includes a nine-round Swiss and a Match Play stage. The top-ranked players from the Swiss move on to the Match Play stage, and the remaining pairings are based on players’ Swiss final placement.
Each match in Match Play consists of two games, and a bidding armageddon game breaks ties. After the Match Play stage, players advance to the Knockout stage and enter one of three divisions based on their results.
“Match Play” refers to a stage where players are paired against each other in matches consisting of two games. The winner of the match is determined by the total number of points scored in the two games (1 point for a win, 0.5 points for a draw, and 0 points for a loss). If the score is tied, a bidding armageddon game is played to break the tie.
The Knockout stage features 56 players playing across three different divisions based on their Match Play results. Each division has prize money and Tour Points on the line.
- Division I includes eight players, four invited players, and the four winners of the matches between the top-8 players from the Play-In Swiss.
- Division II includes 16 players, the four losers of the matches between the top-8 players from the Play-In Swiss, and the 12 winners of the matches between players placed 9th to 32nd in the Play-In Swiss.
- Division III includes 32 players, the 12 losers of the matches between players placed 9th to 32nd in the Play-In Swiss, and the 20 winners of the matches between players placed 33rd to 72nd in the Play-In Swiss.
The Knockout stage features a double-elimination knockout bracket, and each division has a different time control and match format. The top players with the most CCT Tour Points and the winners of each Division I Knockout from each event earn a spot in the CCT Playoffs.
The remaining spots go to players with the most CCT Tour Points, and the top four players advance to the CCT Finals, where they compete in a single-elimination bracket.
| Stage | Participants | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifiers | Non-grandmaster titlists | 9-round Swiss, top 3 eligible for Play-In |
| Play-In | Grandmasters | 9-round Swiss, Match Play stage, bidding armageddon game |
| Knockout | Top 56 players | Double-elimination knockout bracket, 3 divisions |
| CCT Playoffs | Top Division I winners | Playoff with 8 players, top 4 advance to Finals |
| CCT Finals | Top 4 players | Single-elimination bracket |
Prizes
The total prize pool for the regular tournament is $235,000, with each tournament’s prize pool distributed as follows:
The prize money for the CCT Playoffs and CCT Finals is $500,000:
| Placing | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1st | $200,000 |
| 2nd | $100,000 |
| 3rd (x2) | $50,000 |
| 5th | $25,000 |
| 6th | $20,000 |
| 7th | $15,000 |
| 8th | $12,000 |
| Per Playoff match win | $1,000 |
At the end of the sixth race, players will also receive a $100,000 prize based on their points:
| Placing | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1st | $25,000 |
| 2nd | $20,000 |
| 3rd | $16,000 |
| 4th | $12,000 |
| 5th | $9,000 |
| 6th | $7,000 |
| 7th | $5,000 |
| 8th | $3,000 |
| 9th | $2,000 |
| 10th | $1,000 |
Airthings Masters
Airthings, the Norwegian technology company renowned for its indoor air quality monitors, returns as title sponsor of the Champions Chess Tour. Airthings Masters is the opening event on the Champions Chess Tour 2023, which is organised by Chess.com. It was held from February 6 to 10.
This tournament consists of three Divisions, consisting of 8-16 and 32 players each, that are double-elimination knockouts. A winner in each Division can advance to the Grand Final.
Magnus Carlsen emerged victorious over Hikaru Nakamura in an armageddon tiebreaker after two draws. Furthermore, GM Fabiano Caruana upset Yu Yangyi in the Division II Winners Bracket.
| Winner | Second (or finalist) | Third | Fourth | Winner of Division II |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magnus Carlsen (Norway) | Hikaru Nakamura (US) | Wesley So (US) | Arjun Erigaisi (India) | Fabiano Caruana (US) |
Candidates Tournament
The winner of the Candidates Tournament will compete against Magnus Carlsen for the FIDE World Chess Championship. This match is a best-of-fourteen classical game match, wherein the first player to score 7.5 points wins. If that ends in a tie, rapid and blitz games are played to determine who emerges victorious.
In 2023, Magnus Carlsen decided to renounce his World Chess Championship title, prompting a host of top players from around the world to compete for it. Two notable challengers are Ian Nepomniachtchi and Ding Liren – both winners of the 2022 Candidates Tournament.
Conclusion
Chess is a great way to get children involved in sport and helps them develop their attention span, memory, problem-solving skills, spatial reasoning, and more. It can also be a fun and exciting hobby, and can boost their confidence.
The Champions Chess Tour 2023 is an international chess event that takes place across the world. It offers a number of different tournaments for players to take part in. During the course of the tournament, players will compete to win the world chess title.
For more up-to-date information, follow Chess.com! Not only do you get plenty of rapid chess events here, but there’s also some high-tech wizardry involved too – plus, you can play anywhere, anytime! Don’t miss this exciting chess competition; winners will take home an impressive $235k prize pot.