Lichess declares world entry paths to the FIDE World Fischer Random Finals, with anybody eligible for entry, solely without cost

The 2022 version of the FIDE World Fischer Random Championship will happen this October in Reykjavik, Iceland. Three years in the past, Wesley So beat Magnus Carlsen to turn into the primary ever official Fischer Random World Champion; each gamers will likely be competing once more for the crown this autumn, alongside six different contenders…and one in all them may very well be you! 

Beginning this Friday (19 August), Lichess and its co-organisers Charlotte Chess Heart, the North American Company Chess League, and Offerspill Sjakklubb are internet hosting two official qualifier occasions, with the winner of every incomes an invite to Reykjavik. Anybody can enter. All it’s essential to do is win!

Format

The qualifiers will comply with the multi-stage format outlined within the graphic under:

Stage 1 (19 August – 4 September) entails two phases. First, a number of open-entry 3+2 arenas will likely be held over the subsequent two weeks. These are the place anybody – titled or untitled, rated or unrated, skilled or newbie – can begin their journey to Reykjavik. The highest 50 finishers in every enviornment will qualify for the second part: a single 3+2 enviornment per qualifier, from which 500 gamers will advance to the subsequent stage, per qualifier.

Stage 2 (10-11 September) can even comprise two phases. First, the gamers will likely be divided into teams to play an 11-round, 5+2, Swiss event. The highest 18 finishers in every group will be part of one another and 10 wildcard gamers – be careful for some large names! – to play a 9-round, 10+2, Swiss, from which the highest 15 will advance to the ultimate stage.

Within the closing stage (17-25 September), the gamers will duel one another in knockout matches to find out who will likely be invited to play within the over-the-board finals in Reykjavik (and a share of the $400,000 prize fund). Those that progress to this stage can even obtain a share of a $2,500 prize fund, per qualifier.

The complete qualifier laws will be discovered right here. It’s essential to comply with adjust to them to take part, so please take the time to evaluate them (and observe particularly the necessities for id verification and truthful play). Entry right into a qualifier assumes you might have learn them and agreed with them.

Observe that attributable to FIDE / IOC restrictions, Russian and Belarusian gamers is not going to be eligible to qualify if their Lichess profile shows a Russian or Belarusian flag. Flags will be modified in person settings (we advocate the Lichess flag!)

Chess.com can even be internet hosting two qualifiers, solely for titled gamers on the finish of August. Keep in mind that our event laws have some variations to theirs, so for those who compete in each remember to learn each units of laws with care.

Though it’s not required for participation within the qualifiers, those that need the most recent official event updates ought to be part of FIDE’s official crew web page on Lichess.

Area Calendar

The complete occasion calendar is on FIDE’s official crew web page on Lichess. A number of the subsequent few days’ occasions are listed under:

nineteenth August 1600 – 1800 UTC: https://lichess.org/event/2uxfAuV1
nineteenth August 1900 – 2100 UTC: https://lichess.org/event/qF84vQWm

twentieth August 0100 – 0300 UTC: https://lichess.org/event/nE8sEgZU
twentieth August 0500 – 0700 UTC: https://lichess.org/event/bneCBdZ9
twentieth August 1600 – 1800 UTC: https://lichess.org/event/6DfPQlEe
twentieth August 1900 – 2100 UTC: https://lichess.org/event/xcIBrZbv

twenty first August 0100 – 0300 UTC: https://lichess.org/event/6nTKRwoN
twenty first August 0500 – 0700 UTC: https://lichess.org/event/SiuqPsSi
twenty first August 1600 – 1800 UTC: https://lichess.org/event/Wz9ObpES
twenty first August 1900 – 2100 UTC: https://lichess.org/event/BA0Byus4

twenty second August 0100 – 0300 UTC: https://lichess.org/event/hRWyCvd9
twenty second August 0500 – 0700 UTC: https://lichess.org/event/GNQyCg0J
twenty second August 1600 – 1800 UTC: https://lichess.org/event/aslHRVp0
twenty second August 1900 – 2100 UTC: https://lichess.org/event/YGPCw4xa

What’s Fischer Random Chess?

Developed and refined by the eleventh World Champion GM Bobby Fischer, Fischer Random – aka Chess960 (as on Lichess) or shuffle chess (initially) – is the one chess variant recognised and ruled by FIDE. It follows the identical guidelines and has the identical items as normal chess, besides the beginning positions of the backrank items for each colors are symmetrically randomised.

An instance Chess960 beginning place
A number of commonalities with normal chess are retained, such because the requirement for each side to have reverse color bishops and the suitable to fortress on both facet of the board. Consequently, there are 960 distinctive and legitimate beginning positions for a Chess960 sport. 

Thus opening principle, laptop evaluation and memorisation play a far much less vital position in Chess960 in comparison with normal chess, and Chess960 video games are sometimes good checks of chess instinct and creativity. 

Many Chess960 tournaments have been held internationally, however the first FIDE-recognised World Championship for the variant solely came about three years in the past. Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Ian Nepomniachtchi and Wesley So all performed – with Wesley So defeating all opposition to turn into the primary (and reigning) Fischer Random World Champion. 

For extra info on Chess960, try the sources compiled by the official Lichess Chess960 crew to assist gamers enhance their expertise. As you’ll anticipate, they’re free to entry, so there’s actually no excuse not to take part! 

About our co-organisers

These qualifiers wouldn’t be potential with out the assist and experience offered by our co-organisers, all of whom share with us a philosophy of creating chess accessible, inclusive, and out there to all.

Charlotte Chess Heart / charlottechesscenter.org

Based mostly in Charlotte, North Carolina, with roots relationship again to 2007, Charlotte Chess Heart goals to offer chess lovers a spot to play the sport (casually and in tournaments), develop chess friendships, and develop the chess group – each domestically and globally. In recent times, CCC has gone from energy to energy. With years of expertise, the CCC has expanded to a workers of greater than 20 chess professionals, and now runs huge faculty enrichment programmes, academy courses, and likewise the biggest OTB tournaments within the Southeast U.S.. With a wealth of expertise organising on-line and OTB championship tournaments, the Heart is dedicated to the success of the Lichess CCC & NACCL FIDE World Fischer Random Qualifiers. 

Contact: occasions@charlottechesscenter.org

North American Company Chess League / nacorporatechess.com

Based in 2020, the North American Company Chess League is a web based leisure chess league for corporations headquartered within the USA, Canada, and Mexico. It’s the largest company chess league on the planet, with over 40 groups and 450 gamers competing every season. An inclusive and interesting on-line chess league, the NACCL options pleasant competitors and crew constructing amongst professionals from dozens of industries throughout the continent.

Contact: information@nacorporatechess.com

Offerspill Sjakklubb / offerspill.com

A non-profit, Offerspill Sjakklubb (Offerspill interprets as “sacrificial play”) was based in 2019 by World Champion Magnus Carlsen, who nonetheless chairs the membership. Norway’s largest chess membership by membership, Offerspill goals to make chess a low threshold exercise, accessible to all –  particularly web gamers – whereas additionally encouraging the event of proficient gamers and permitting them to pursue their chess goals. Offerspill gives varied coaching camps, instructional supplies, tournaments and different content material to each its members and the broader chess group, usually that includes a number of the world’s finest gamers. Offerspill additionally gives its members the prospect to play in a web based league to win prizes and digital awards.

Contact: offerspill@gmail.com