Hikaru Nakamura is among the prime contenders to qualify for subsequent yr’s Candidates event by way of the rankings spot route, however that doesn’t imply he likes the idea of a rankings spot. The rankings spot is among the many pathways to qualify for the eight-player Candidates event, which is the ultimate step to difficult for the World Chess Championship title.
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The FIDE ranking spot will probably be given to the highest-rated participant in keeping with the 6-month common ranking based mostly on FIDE Normal Score Lists from August 1st 2025 until January 1st 2026 supplied the respective participant has performed at the very least 40 video games calculated for FIDE Normal Score Lists from February 1st 2025 until January 1st 2026 (together with at the very least 15 video games in any of the 6 consecutive ranking lists).
Nakamura has mentioned that the one motive FIDE, the worldwide governing physique of chess, nonetheless is gifting away a rankings spot is to maintain the door open to former world champion Magnus Carlsen, who has repeatedly mentioned that he’s not considering enjoying both the Candidates or the World Championship.
“I’ve mentioned that there are lots of issues over the past couple of years that FIDE has has gotten flawed and one of many massive issues is there shouldn’t be a ranking spot. I feel having a ranking spot is a big mistake.
“It perhaps is just not politically right to say this, however my view concerning the ranking spot, it’s merely, you already know, ‘we’re sorry, Magnus. Right here’s right here’s your probability to play the Candidates and change into world champion once more in the event you’re actually
’. And I don’t assume there’s another motive that FIDE have the ranking spot. I feel it’s actually on
the off probability that Magnus wakes up tomorrow and abruptly he decides that he needs to play classical severely once more,” Nakamura instructed Chessbase India in an interview throughout the ongoing Las Vegas leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour. “FIDE, for no matter motive, can’t recover from the truth that Magnus has moved on from classical chess and he has no curiosity on the planet championship.”
Nakamura identified how gamers like Ding Liren and Alireza Firoujza had gamed their technique to securing a ranking spot up to now.
Gamers may qualify for the Candidates by way of the 2024 FIDE Circuit (Fabiano Caruana has secured this spot), ending within the high 3 on the 2025 FIDE World Cup, ending within the high 2 on the Grand Swiss event or by ranking.
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Nakamura mentioned that for him, the one plan to qualify for the Candidates was by way of the rankings spot whose existence he was criticising.
“That’s the solely plan. I’ve already made it very clear that I’m not enjoying the Grand Swiss or the World Cup. So it’s both that or nothing. Yeah, my plan is is fairly easy,” Nakamura mentioned.
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