Pools For the First Leg of the FIDE Grand Prix Are Announced
In just two weeks, Berlin will host the first round of the FIDE Grand Prix Series 2022, organized by World Chess. From February 3 to 17 sixteen elite chess players, including Grandmaster Harikrishna, who replaced the drop-out Wei Yi, will compete for the chance to win the last two spots in the Candidates tournament to be held later this year as well as for a EUR150,000 prize fund.
The drawing of lots ceremony determined the pools for the first leg of the Series. The ceremony, held over Zoom, was chaired by the Chief Arbiter Ivan Syrovy and CEO of World Chess Ilya Merenzon and attended by the Grand Prix participants.
Before the drawing, the players were divided into 4 baskets according to January standard rating:
Basket 1:
- Ding Liren (China), 2799
- Levon Aronian (USA), 2772
- Wesley So (USA), 2772
- Alexander Grischuk (Russia), 2764
Basket 2:
- Richard Rapport (Hungary), 2763
- Leinier Dominguez (USA), 2752
- Hikaru Nakamura, (USA), 2736
- Vidit Gujrathi (India), 2727
Basket 3:
- Dmitry Andreikin (Russia), 2724
- Daniil Dubov (Russia), 2720
- Pentala Harikrishna (India), 2717
- Vladimir Fedoseev (Russia), 2704
Basket 4:
- Alexei Shirov (Spain), 2704
- Grigoriy Oparin (Russia), 2681
- Vincent Keymer (Germany), 2664
- Etienne Bacrot (France), 2642
Chief Arbiter allocated the players to 4 different pools via randomized selection procedure. The group stage promises exciting games, with the pairings to be determined at the Opening Ceremony:
Pool A:
- Alexander Grischuk (Russia), 2764
- Hikaru Nakamura, (USA), 2736
- Dmitry Andreikin (Russia), 2724
- Etienne Bacrot (France), 2642
Pool B:
- Ding Liren (China), 2799
- Richard Rapport (Hungary), 2763
- Vladimir Fedoseev (Russia), 2704
- Grigoriy Oparin (Russia), 2681
Pool C:
- Levon Aronian (USA), 2772
- Vidit Gujrathi (India), 2727
- Daniil Dubov (Russia), 2720
- Vincent Keymer, 2664
Pool D:
- Wesley So (USA), 2772
- Leinier Dominguez (USA), 2752
- Pentala Harikrishna (India), 2717
- Alexei Shirov (Spain), 2704
The first leg of the FIDE Grand Prix will take place in the city center at Unter den Linden 26-30 from February 4 to 17. The rounds start at 3PM Berlin time.
The games will be broadcast live at worldchess.com.
