Chess World Cup 2011

Matches consisted of two games (except for the final, which consisted of four). Players had 90 minutes for the first 40 moves followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game with an addition of 30 seconds per move from move one. If the match was tied after the regular games, tie breaks were played on the next day. The format for the tie breaks was as follows:[3]

• Two rapid games (25 minutes plus 10 second increment) were played.
• If the score was still tied, two rapid games (10 minutes plus 10 second increment) were played.
• If these two games were drawn, the opponents played two blitz-games (5 minutes plus 3 second increment).
• If the score was still tied after pair of blitz games, a single armageddon game (white must win, black only needs to draw) would be played. White had 5 minutes, black had 4 minutes, and both players had three-second increments beginning with move 61. Eventually, two Armageddon game were played in round 1 and round 3.

In the final the regulation is the same with the exception that instead of two games with "long" time control the finalists are to play four. Those who lost in the semifinal round played an additional match (according to the same regulation as in the final) for third place and the right to participate in the Candidates. The first two "tickets" to the Candidates are given to the finalists.

The winner of the Chess World Cup 2009, Boris Gelfand, did not participate. As the winner of the 2011 Candidates, he was an automatic qualifier for the 2013 Candidates.

The players qualified for the event were:[4]

¹ Wang Hao and Vladimir Akopian did not appear for their first round matches and lost on forfeit.

All players are grandmasters unless indicated otherwise.

Qualification paths:

• Official website