On December 15, 2022, FIDE introduced the paths of qualification for the following Candidates Tournament, which shall be held in 2024 and can decide the challenger within the 2024 World Championship. The paths are:

• Runner-up on the 2023 World Championship 
• Top 3 finishers on the 2023 World Cup
• Top 2 finishers on the 2023 Grand Swiss
• Top finisher within the “FIDE Circuit”
• And one spot by ranking.

Five spots have been rearranged in comparison with the earlier cycle—the one after the 2021 World Championship—which in the end produced each GM Ian Nepomniachtchi and GM Ding Liren as challengers after GM Magnus Carlsen determined to not defend his title. Three spots stay constant: the World Championship runner-up and the 2 spots from the Grand Swiss. 

❗️ Important ❗️
FIDE Candidates Tournament 2024 Qualification Paths introduced:
1 spot – FIDE World Championship Match 2023, Runner-up
3 spots – FIDE World Cup
2 spots – FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament 2023
1 spot – FIDE Circuit
1 spot – FIDE Rating

More data: https://t.co/AnHBukAiRJ pic.twitter.com/nQWA4dxPPD

— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) December 15, 2022

FIDE’s announcement marks the return of the ranking spot as a standard a part of the qualification after a one-cycle absence. Rating in the end got here into play this previous cycle regardless, after GM Sergey Karjakin was banned from FIDE previous to the 2022 Candidates Tournament. It was used to choose Ding Liren as Karjakin’s substitute.

A spot for the highest three finishers on the World Cup, as a substitute of simply the prime two, can be not new traditionally talking. However, it was most lately the case solely again within the 2011 World Cup, which delivered three of the 2013 Candidates Tournament individuals.

This leaves the most recent path of the brand new cycle to debate. The so-called “FIDE Circuit” will happen all through the 2023 calendar yr and be made up of what FIDE describes as: “Tournaments that meet sure standards, like being performed beneath commonplace time management, supervised by International Arbiters, and the place Fair Play measures are utilized.” More particulars are offered in FIDE’s announcement.

It will not be but clear which particular tournaments these shall be, aside from a handful explicitly named within the announcement: the 2023 World Rapid Championship, 2023 World Blitz Championship, and the 2023 Continental Rapid and Blitz Championships.

It appears possible that some or the entire Grand Chess Tour (GCT) occasions will rely towards the Circuit. However, the April 2022 settlement between FIDE and the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) to make use of that sequence to supply two candidates has apparently fallen via. 

FIDE has additionally outlined particular procedures for locating a substitute participant ought to one be wanted. And one has been wanted for the previous two Candidates Tournaments; along with the Ding-for-Karajkin substitute this yr, there was GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave changing GM Teimour Radjabov within the 2020-21 Candidates. In each circumstances, particularly in 2022, the substitute course of was messy and controversial.

Generally talking, the substitute will depend upon the trail of the participant who initially certified. For instance, if a World Cup participant is changed, fourth place at that very same occasion is first in line to interchange the unique participant.

The 2024 Candidates Tournament would be the first one since 2013 the place Carlsen will not be the defending world champion. We now know how gamers will qualify. The subsequent step is to see who will really do it.