The qualification paths to the Candidates Tournament 2022 are announced. At the same time, it is confirmed that Teimour Radjabov, the winner of the FIDE World Cup 2019, is granted a wildcard.

For some bumpy, for others straight, the road to the Candidates is a route every grandmaster dreams to travel. let’s look back at the milestones on the way.

Sergey Karjakin reaches the final of the World Cup and thus qualifies for the Candidates Tournament.

Jan-Krzysztof Duda reaches the final of the World Cup and thus claims his place in the Candidates Tournament. He will defeat Sergey Karjakin in the second game of the final and win the World Cup 2021.

FIDE opens a bidding procedure to organise the 2022 Candidates Tournament.

The Grand Swiss finishes in Riga. The winner Alireza Firouzja and the runner-up Fabiano Caruana qualify for the Candidates.

The FIDE World Championship Match between Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi ends in a victory for the defending champion. Ian Nepomniachtchi qualifies for the Candidates as the match runner-up.

It is announced that the Candidates will take place in Madrid in June.

After consultation with the players who have already qualified for the competition, the playoff is introduced as a tiebreaker for the Candidates Tournament.

The schedule and venue are announced. The magnificent Palacio de Santoña, a centrally located historic building in Madrid, will open its doors for the event.

The FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission imposes a six-month ban on Sergey Karjakin, preventing him from participating in the Candidates.

Hikaru Nakamura and Richard Rapport claim two Candidates spots reserved for the winner and the runner-up of the FIDE Grand Prix Series. Upon the completion of the group section of the last GP tournament in Berlin, it is certain that no other player had a theoretical chance to catch up with them in the overall standings.

The drawing of lots for the FIDE Candidates Tournament is carried out during the FIDE Council in Abu Dhabi and the round by round pairings are announced.

The Appeal Chamber of the FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission announces its decision to dismiss the appeal presented by Sergey Karjakin.
Ding Liren replaces Karjakin in the Candidates lineup as the highest-rated player in the May 2022 rating list. To fulfil the requirement of 30 rated games played in the last year, Ding Liren engaged in a chess marathon playing 26 games in about a month prior to the May 1 cutoff point.

The official website of the FIDE Candidates 2022 is launched.

Waiting for the games to commence!