Zurich Chess Challenge Explained

The Zurich Chess Challenge (ZCC) is one of the major recurring international chess tournaments, combining rapid chess with classical or blitz chess. Zurich shows an exhibition type of tournament, similar at the former Amber chess tournament ambience, which explains some laxness and a comparatively brief duration of the whole event. It takes place in Zurich, Switzerland.^[1] The main sponsor is Russian businessman Oleg Skvortsov.^{[2] [3]}

Winners

	Year	Challenge winner
1	2012	Two-players match resulted with draw
2	2013
3	2014
4	2015
5	2016
6	2017

Zurich Chess Challenge 2012

The Zurich Chess Challenge 2012 was a six-game chess match between Vladimir Kramnik (Russia) and Levon Aronian (Armenia) from 21 to 28 April 2012.^{[4] [5]} Each player won one game and there were four draws.

	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	Total	Rating change
align=left		2801	0	½	1	½	½	½	3	+2
align=left		2820	1	½	0	½	½	½	3	−2

Zurich Chess Challenge 2013

Italy's Fabiano Caruana won the Zurich Chess Challenge 2013 which took place from 23 February to 1 March 2013.^{[6] [7] [8]}

No	Player		1	2	3	4	Points	Rating change
1	align=left		2757		½ 1	½ ½	½ 1	4	+12
2	align=left		2780	½ 0		½ 1	½ ½	3	−1
3	align=left		2810	½ ½	½ 0		½ ½	2½	−9
4	align=left		2740	½ 0	½ ½	½ ½		2½	−1

Zurich Chess Challenge 2014

The Zurich Chess Challenge 2014 took place from 29 January to 4 February 2014. The average rating of its participants is 2801, the highest ever at the time, and it is also the first category 23 tournament ever.^[9] Magnus Carlsen won the tournament.

The opening day included five rounds of blitz to decide the draw, which was won by Carlsen. The main tournament consists of five rounds of classical chess and finally five rounds of rapid chess on the closure day.^{[10] [11]}

Blitz results

No	Player		1	2	3	4	5	6	Points	SB
1	align=left		2837		½	1	0	1	½	3	7.25
2	align=left		2863	½		0	½	1	1	3	6.75
3	align=left		2879	0	1		1	½	0	2½	6.75
4	align=left		2697	1	½	0		0	1	2½	6
5	align=left		2827	0	0	½	1		1	2½	5.25
6	align=left		2719	½	0	1	0	0		1½	4

Classical results

No	Player			1	2	3	4	5	6	Points	Rating change
1	align=left		1	2872		½	1	1	½	1	8	+9
2	align=left		2	2812	½		0	1	1	½	6	+4
3	align=left		6	2782	0	1		½	½	½	5	+2
4	align=left		3	2789	0	0	½		1	½	4	−4
5	align=left		9	2773	½	0	½	0		1	4	−3
6	align=left		8	2777	0	½	½	½	0		3	−8

For games that ended in a draw in under 40 moves, a subsequent rapid game between the two players was mandatory, although these particular rapid games had no relevance to the tournament standings. Two such games were played: Gelfand–Aronian (0–1) in the third round and Gelfand–Nakamura (1–0) in the fifth round.

Rapid results

No	Player	Rapid Elo rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	Points	Rating change
1	align=left		2812		1	½	1	½	1	4	+28
2	align=left		2826	0		1	½	1	1	3½	+15
3	align=left		2770	½	0		1	½	1	3	+15
4	align=left		2845	0	½	0		1	½	2	−18
5	align=left		2735	½	0	½	0		½	1½	−10
6	align=left		2800	0	0	0	½	½		1	−30

Combined final results

The combined final score for the tournament was calculated by scoring each game in the classical competition on a 2–1–0 basis and each game in the rapid competition on a 1–½–0 basis.

No	Player	Points
1	align=left		10
2	align=left		9
3	align=left		9
4	align=left		7½
5	align=left		5
6	align=left		4½

Zurich Chess Challenge 2015

The 2015 tournament featured Fabiano Caruana, Viswanathan Anand, Vladimir Kramnik, Levon Aronian, Sergey Karjakin and Hikaru Nakamura. The tournament was held from 13-19 February 2015 at the Hotel Savoy Baur en Ville in Zurich.^[12]

A Blitz Tournament determined the colors distribution on the first day of the tournament (Friday, February 13, 2015).^[13] After the opening, 5 classical games were played following by another 5 rapid games on the last day of the tournament. The rules stated that wins (2 points) and draws (1) count double for classical games, with a draw before move 40 “punished” by an extra rapid game.

Vishy Anand and Hikaru Nakamura ended up with 9 points. For determining the winner, although it was said before that the previous games between two must decide the result, they changed the rules midway and asked the players to play an armageddon game in which Hikaru Nakamura won with the black and ended up as the tournament winner.

Blitz results

No	Player		1	2	3	4	5	6	Points	SB
1	align=left		2777		½	1	1	½	1	4	8.75
2	align=left		2811	½		½	½	1	1	3.5	6.75
3	align=left		2797	0	½		1	1	1	3.5	5.75
4	align=left		2776	0	½	0		½	1	2	3.25
5	align=left		2783	½	0	0	½		0	1	3
6	align=left		2760	0	0	0	0	1		1	1

Classical results

No	Player		1	2	3	4	5	6	Points	SB
1	align=left		2797		2	1	1	1	2	7	16.5
2	align=left		2776	0		1	2	2	1	6	12.5
3	align=left		2783	1	1		1	1	1	5	12.5
4	align=left		2760	1	0	1		1	1	4	10
5	align=left		2811	1	0	1	1		1	4	10
6	align=left		2777	0	1	1	1	1		4	9.5

Rapid results

No	Player	Rapid Elo rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	Points	SB
1	align=left		2783		1	1	0	½	1	3.5	7.75
2	align=left		2777	0		½	1	1	½	3	6.25
3	align=left		2776	0	½		½	1	1	3	6
4	align=left		2760	1	0	½		½	0	2	6
5	align=left		2797	½	0	0	½		1	2	4.25
6	align=left		2811	0	½	0	1	0		1.5	2.5

Tiebreak

After the games Nakamura and Anand were the leaders with 9 point. An Armageddon tiebreak game between the two tied leaders, Anand and Nakamura. White was given five minutes, black four. White had to win in order to win the tournament. Hikaru Nakamura won as black making him the winner of the tournament. ^[14]

Combined final results

The combined final score for the tournament was calculated by scoring each game in the classical competition on a 2–1–0 basis and each game in the rapid competition on a 1–½–0 basis.

No	Player	Points
1	align=left		9.0
2	align=left		9.0
3	align=left		8.5
4	align=left		7.0
5	align=left		6.0
6	align=left		5.5

Zurich Chess Challenge 2016

In the 2016 tournament, held from 12–15 February 2016, starting on a Friday and already ending on the following Monday, players were awarded two points for a win and one point for a draw in the rapid section, and one point for a win and half a point for a draw in the blitz section. No classical chess was played. Hikaru Nakamura won the blitz section on tiebreaks and tied with Viswanathan Anand in the rapid section. Nakamura won the overall event.^[15]

The tournament was also held alongside a match between Alexander Morozevich and Boris Gelfand.

Rapid results

No	Player	Rapid Elo rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	Points	SB
1	align=left		2777		1	1	2	1	2	7	15
2	align=left		2842	1		1	2	2	1	7	15
3	align=left		2793	1	1		1	1	2	6	13.5
4	align=left		2746	0	0	1		2	1	4	7.5
5	align=left		2682	1	0	1	0		1	3	8
6	align=left		2756	0	1	0	1	1		3	7

Blitz results

No	Player	Blitz Elo rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	Points	SB
1	align=left		2884		½	½	1	1	½	3.5	7.75
2	align=left		2764	½		½	½	1	1	3.5	6.75
3	align=left		2817	½	½		½	1	1	3.5	6.75
4	align=left		2793	0	½	½		½	1	2.5	4.75
5	align=left		2814	0	0	0	½		1	1.5	1.75
6	align=left		2682	½	0	0	0	0		0.5	1.75

Combined final results

No	Player	Points	SB
1	align=left		10.5	22.75
2	align=left		10.5	21.75
3	align=left		9.5	20.25
4	align=left		5.5	11.75
5	align=left		5.5	9.25
6	align=left		3.5	9.75

Exhibition match results

A two-game exhibition match was played between Alexander Morozevich and Boris Gelfand, in the same time control as the Rapid portion of the main tournament. Boris Gelfand won the mini-match.

	Player		1	2	Points
1	align=left		2735	½	1	1½
2	align=left		2683	½	0	½

Zurich Chess Challenge 2017

American Hikaru Nakamura won the total standings by winning a blitz tournament half a point ahead of the Indian Viswanathan Anand and a full point ahead of Ian Nepomniachtchi.^[16]

Rapid result

No	Player	Classical Elo rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Points
1		2793		2	1	1	0	2	2	2	10
2		2751	0		2	1	1	2	2	2	10
3		2786	1	0		0	2	2	2	2	9
4		2811	1	1	2		1	1	1	1	8
5		2747	2	1	0	1		1	1	2	8
6		2724	0	0	0	1	1		2	1	5
7		2541	0	0	0	1	1	0		1	3
8		2604	0	0	0	1	0	1	1		3

Blitz result

No	Player	Classical Elo rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Points
1		2793		½	½	½	½	1	1	1	5
2		2786	½		½	½	1	½	½	1	4½
3		2751	½	½		½	½	1	0	1	4
4		2747	½	½	½		½	0	1	1	4
5		2724	½	0	½	½		1	½	1	4
6		2811	0	½	0	1	0		1	½	3
7		2604	0	½	1	0	½	0		½	2½
8		2541	0	0	0	0	0	½	½		1

Combined final results

No	Player	Classical Elo rating	Points
1		2793	15.0
2		2751	14.0
3		2786	13.5
4		2747	12.0
5		2811	11.0
6		2724	9.0
7		2604	5.5
8		2541	4.0

See also

• Zürich 1934 chess tournament
• Zurich 1953 chess tournament

External links

• • Live games

Notes and References

1. http://www.zurich-cc.com/reports.html Zurich Chess Challenge: Showdown at the Paradeplatz and a fantastic performance by the Italian youngstar!
2. Web site: McGourty. Colin. Carlsen to miss Zurich after sponsor loses patience (updated). chess24. 22 March 2016. 2014-09-19.
3. Web site: Zurich Challenge with new time controls. ChessBase. 22 March 2016. 2015-11-02.
4. Web site: FIDE: Zurich Chess Challenge: Kramnik vs. Aronian . 2013-04-28 . 2013-10-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131009045846/http://www.fide.com/component/content/article/4-tournaments/5920-zurich-chess-challenge-kramnik-vs-aronian.html . dead .
5. http://crestbook.com/node/1687 Crestbook: Zurich Chess Challenge 2012
6. http://www.chessdom.com/caruana-wins-zurich-chess-challenge-2013/ ChessDom: Fabiano Caruana wins Zurich Chess Challenge 2013
7. http://www.chessvibes.com/reports/caruana-wins-zurich-chess-challenge-anand-second ChessVibes: Caruana wins Zurich Chess Challenge, Anand second
8. http://www.chess.com/news/caruana-wins-zurich-chess-challenge-2013-8066 ChessNews: Caruana Wins Zurich Chess Challenge
9. Web site: Zurich 2014 a few hours away. Ramirez. Alejandro. 2014-01-29. ChessBase. 31 January 2014.
10. http://www.chessdom.com/zurich-chess-challenge-2014/ ChessDom: Zurich Chess Challenge 2014
11. http://theweekinchess.com/chessnews/events/zurich-chess-challenge-2014 The Week in Chess: Zurich Chess Challenge 2014
12. Web site: Zurich Chess Challenge 2015 Announced, Carlsen Not Playing. chess.com. 22 September 2014 . 22 September 2014.
13. http://www.zurich-cc.com/results.html Official website "ZURICH CHESS CHALLENGE 2015"
14. http://www.zurich-cc.com/results/standings.html Official website
15. Web site: Standings. Zurich Chess Challenge 2016. 15 February 2016. 20 February 2016.
16. Web site: All good things come in three - Nakamura is king again.