View source for World Chess Championship 2023

{{Short description|Upcoming chess championship match}}
{{Infobox chess match
|header = World Chess Championship 2023
|dates = 7 April – 1 May 2023
|location = St Regis Hotel, [[Astana]], [[Kazakhstan]]
|comp1 = Ian Nepomniachtchi
|comp2 = Ding Liren
|title1 = Candidates Tournament winner
|title2 = Candidates Tournament runner-up
|image1 = [[File:World Chess Championship 2021, game 07, Ian Nepomniachtchi (cropped).jpg|center|Ian Nepomniachtchi|130px]]
|image2 = [[File:Ding Liren 2, Candidates Tournament 2018.jpg|center|Ding Liren|150px]]
|flag1 = FIDE
|flag2 = CHN
|dob1 = 14 July 1990
|age1 = 32 years old
|dob2 = 24 October 1992
|age2 = 30 years old
|qual1 = Winner of the [[Candidates Tournament 2022]]
|qual2 = Runner-up of the [[Candidates Tournament 2022]]
|elo1 = 2795 (April 2023)
|elo2 = 2788 (April 2023)
|prev = 2021
|prev_link = World Chess Championship 2021
|next = 
|rank1=2|rank2=3}}
The '''World Chess Championship 2023''' is an upcoming [[chess]] match, taking place from 7 April to 1 May 2023 to determine the new [[World Chess Champion]]. The match will be held in [[Astana]], [[Kazakhstan]], from 7 April to 1 May 2023, and will be a best of 14 games, plus tiebreaks if required.<ref name=Astana2 />

The incumbent champion [[Magnus Carlsen]] decided not to defend his title against [[Ian Nepomniachtchi]], the winner of the [[Candidates Tournament 2022]].<ref name="FIDE2021May">[https://fide.com/news/1097 FIDE announces qualification paths for Candidates Tournament 2022], [[FIDE]], 25 May 2021</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Doggers |first=Peter |date=2022-07-20 |title=BREAKING: Carlsen Not To Defend World Title |url=https://www.chess.com/news/view/magnus-carlsen-not-to-defend-chess-world-title |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=Chess.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Therefore, Nepomniachtchi will play the second-place finisher in the Candidates, [[Ding Liren]], in the World Chess Championship match.

== Carlsen declines to defend the title ==

The incumbent world champion is [[Magnus Carlsen]], who first  [[World Chess Championship 2013|won the title in 2013]]. To keep the title, Carlsen is periodically required to defend it in a [[Chess World Championship]] match against a challenger, determined by a [[Candidates Tournament]]. Carlsen successfully defended the title in the world championship matches of [[World Chess Championship 2014|2014]], [[World Chess Championship 2016|2016]], [[World Chess Championship 2018|2018]] and [[World Chess Championship 2021|2021]]. In December 2021, soon after the 2021 championship (against [[Ian Nepomniachtchi]]), Carlsen stated that he lacked the motivation to defend his title again, unless the challenger was [[Alireza Firouzja]]. Firouzja had risen to number two in the world rankings in 2021 at the age of 18.<ref name="chesscomDec21">{{cite news |url=https://www.chess.com/news/view/magnus-carlsen-defend-world-chess-title-alireza-firouzja |title=Carlsen Might Only Defend Title Vs. Firouzja |author=Peter Doggers |publisher=[[chess.com]] |date=December 21, 2021}}</ref> In April 2022, Carlsen again publicly stated that he was unlikely to play in the next world championship, this time without mentioning any potential opponent.<ref name="Barden">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/apr/22/chess-magnus-carlsen-unlikely-to-defend-crown-but-questions-remain |title=Chess: Magnus Carlsen ‘unlikely’ to defend crown, but questions remain |author=[[Leonard Barden]] |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=22 April 2022}}</ref>

The Candidates Tournament 2022 concluded in early July 2022, with Nepomniachtchi as its winner. FIDE and Carlsen were already in talks regarding the world championship match and its format.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://theweekinchess.com/chessnews/events/fide-candidates-tournament-2022/ding-beats-nakamura-in-the-final-round-of-the-candidates-to-finish-in-second-place |title=Ding beats Nakamura in the final round of the Candidates to finish in second place |work=[[The Week in Chess]] |date=6 July 2022}}</ref> On 20 July, Carlsen announced that he would not defend his title.<ref name=c24_nodefend>{{cite news |url=https://new.chess24.com/wall/news/magnus-carlsen-will-not-defend-his-title |title=Magnus Carlsen will not defend his title |work=[[Chess24]] |date=20 July 2022}}</ref> Therefore the 2023 world championship match will be between Ian Nepomniachtchi and [[Ding Liren]], respectively the winner and runner up of the 2022 Candidates Tournament, with Carlsen set to lose the title of world champion when the match concludes.<ref name=c24_nodefend /><ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506225001/https://handbook.fide.com/files/handbook/FWCM2020.pdf |title=Regulations for the FIDE World Championship Match 2020 |publisher=[[FIDE]] |date=2020 |url=https://handbook.fide.com/files/handbook/FWCM2020.pdf |archive-date= 6 June 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://fide.com/news/1787 |title=FIDE World Championship Match 2023 Qualification Rules |publisher=FIDE |date=25 May 2022}}</ref> After Carlsen formally confirmed his decision in writing, FIDE officially invited Ding and Nepomniachtchi to participate in the 2023 world championship.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fide.com/news/2073 |title=Ding Liren gets official invitation to take part in FIDE World Championship match 2023 |author=FIDE |date=31 October 2022 |website=FIDE |publisher=FIDE |access-date=3 November 2022}}</ref>

Non-participation by the incumbent champion is a rare situation. [[World Chess Championship 1993|In 1993]] incumbent [[Garry Kasparov]] was stripped of his title by FIDE, but he still claimed to be the world champion, setting up a situation where there were [[World_Chess_Championship#Split_title_(1993–2006)|two rival world championships between from 1993–2006]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=3291 |title=Kirsan, Putin and the world championship match |website=[[Chessbase]] |date=August 15, 2006}}</ref> Outside that period, the last reigning champion who declined to take part was [[Bobby Fischer]] in [[World Chess Championship 1975|1975]]. In that case, FIDE awarded the title to Fischer's challenger, [[Anatoly Karpov]], the winner of the Candidates Tournament.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.mark-weeks.com/chess/7375$wix.htm | access-date=16 September 2008 | title=World Chess Championship 1975: Fischer forfeits to Karpov | author=Weeks, M. | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211095654/http://www.mark-weeks.com/chess/7375$wix.htm | archive-date=11 December 2008 | url-status=live }}</ref> The last time an undisputed world championship was actually played without the defending champion was [[World Chess Championship 1948|in 1948]], because the previous champion [[Alexander Alekhine]] had died in 1946.<ref name="Winter2003Interregnum">{{ cite web
 | url=http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/extra/interregnum.html
 | title=Interregnum
 | author=[[Edward Winter (chess historian)|Edward Winter]]
 | date=2003–2004
 | publisher=Chess History Center
}}</ref>

== Candidates Tournament 2022 ==
{{main|Candidates Tournament 2022}}

The challengers are [[Ian Nepomniachtchi]] and [[Ding Liren]], who qualified as the winner and runner-up, respectively, in the [[Candidates Tournament 2022]], which began on June 16 and ended on July 5, 2022.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.chess.com/news/view/2022-candidates-chess-tournament-madrid-fide-chesscom |title=Candidates Tournament To Take Place June 2022 In Madrid Sponsored By Chess.com |date=December 28, 2021 |website=[[chess.com]] |access-date=December 28, 2021}}</ref> Nepomniachtchi had previously challenged world champion Carlsen in the previous [[World Chess Championship 2021]].

The participants were:
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: left;"
! rowspan="2" |Qualification method
! rowspan="2" |Player
!Age
![[FIDE World Rankings|Rating]]
!World
ranking
|-
! colspan="3" |(June 2022)<ref>[https://ratings.fide.com/top.phtml?list=men Top 100 Players June 2022], [[FIDE]]</ref>
|-
|[[World Chess Championship 2021|2021 World Championship]] runner-up
|{{flagicon|FIDE}} [[Ian Nepomniachtchi]]{{efn|Russian players' flags were displayed as the FIDE flag, as Russian and Belarusian flags are banned from FIDE-rated events in response to the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]].<ref name="ban_flag">[https://www.chess.com/news/view/2022-fide-council-ukraine-belarus-russia FIDE Condemns Military Action; Takes Measures Against Russia, Belarus], [[chess.com]], 28 February 2022</ref>|name="flag"|group=}}
|{{age|1990|07|14|2022|7|5}}
|2766
|7
|-
|Candidate [[Candidates Tournament 2022#Qualification of Radjabov|nominated]] by FIDE
|{{flagicon|AZE}} [[Teimour Radjabov]]
|{{age|1987|03|12|2022|7|5}}
|2753
|13
|-
| rowspan="2" |The top two finishers in the [[Chess World Cup 2021]]
|{{flagicon|POL}} [[Jan-Krzysztof Duda]] {{small|(winner)}}
|{{age|1998|04|26|2022|7|5}}
|2750
|16
|-
|{{flagicon|FIDE}} <s>[[Sergey Karjakin]]</s>{{efn|name="flag"}} {{small|(runner-up)}} {{small|([[Candidates_Tournament_2022#Disqualification_of_Karjakin|Disqualified]])}}
|{{age|1990|01|12|2022|7|5}}
|2747
|17
|-
| rowspan="2" |The top two finishers in the [[FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament 2021]]
|{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Alireza Firouzja]] {{small|(winner)}}
|{{age|2003|6|18|2022|7|5}}
|2793
|3
|-
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Fabiano Caruana]] {{small|(runner-up)}}
|{{age|1992|07|30|2022|7|5}}
|2783
|4
|-
| rowspan="2" |The top two finishers in the [[FIDE Grand Prix 2022]]
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Hikaru Nakamura]] {{small|(winner)}}
|{{age|1987|12|9|2022|7|5}}
|2760
|11
|-
|{{flagicon|HUN}} [[Richárd Rapport]] {{small|(runner-up)}}
|{{age|1996|03|26|2022|7|5}}
|2764
|8
|-
|[[FIDE world rankings|Highest rating]] for May 2022
|{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Ding Liren]] {{small|(replacement for Karjakin)}}
|{{age|1992|10|24|2022|7|5}}
|2806
|2
|}

===Results===
{{trim|{{:Candidates Tournament 2022}}}}

==Championship match==

===Organization===
The match will be held in [[Astana]], [[Kazakhstan]], from 7 April to 1 May 2023 at the St Regis Astana Hotel.<ref name=Astana1>{{cite news |last=McGourty |first=Colin |date=19 January 2023 |title=Astana to host Nepomniachtchi-Ding Liren World Chess Championship match |url=https://new.chess24.com/wall/news/astana-to-host-nepomniachtchi-ding-liren-world-chess-championship-match |work=Chess24 |location= |access-date=19 January 2023}}</ref><ref name=Astana2>{{cite news |last= |first= |date=19 January 2023 |title=World Championship match: venue, commentators & schedule |url=https://fide.com/news/2294 |work=FIDE |location= |access-date=29 March 2023}}</ref>

The prize fund will be [[Euro|€]]2 million, split 60% vs 40% between the winner and the runner-up if either player scores 7½ or more points in the classical portion of the match. If the match is tied after 14 classical games, the prize fund will be split 55% vs 45% in favor of the winner of the tiebreak.

===Match regulations===
The [[time control]] for each game in the classical portion of the match will be 120 minutes per side for the first 40 moves, 60 minutes for the next 20 moves, and 15 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second [[Chess clock#Timing methods|increment]] per move starting with move 61.<ref name="regulations">[https://handbook.fide.com/files/handbook/FWCM2023.pdf Regulations for the FIDE World Championship Match 2023], [[FIDE]], 2023</ref>

The match will be a best of 14 games; a score of at least 7½ would win the world championship. If the score is equal after 14 games, tiebreak games with faster time controls will be played:<ref name="regulations" />

* A match consisting of 4 [[Rapid chess|rapid]] games with 25 minutes per side and a 10-second increment starting with move 1 will be played. If a player scores 2½ points or more, he would win the championship.
* If the score is equal after the rapid portion, a mini-match of two [[Blitz chess|blitz]] games will be played, with a time control of 5 minutes per side and a 3-second increment starting with move 1. If a player scores 1½ points or more, he would win the championship. If the blitz mini-match is tied, another mini-match with the same conditions will be played to decide the winner of the championship.
* If both blitz mini-matches are drawn, a single game with a time control of 3 minutes per side and a 2-second increment starting with move 1 will be played, and the winner would win the championship. A drawing of lots shall decide which player plays with the white pieces. If this game is drawn, another blitz game with reversed colours will be played with the same time control, and the winner would win the championship. This process will be repeated until either player wins a game.

Players will not be allowed to [[Draw by agreement|agree to a draw]] before Black's 40th move. A draw claim before then will only be permitted through the arbiter if a [[threefold repetition]] or [[stalemate]] has occurred.<ref name="regulations" />

===Previous head-to-head record===
The pre-match head-to-head score between Nepomniachtchi and Ding in classical games is: 3 wins for Nepomniachtchi, 2 wins for Ding, with 8 draws.<ref>https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?yearcomp=exactly&year=&playercomp=either&pid=54683&player=&pid2=52629&player2=&movescomp=exactly&moves=&opening=&eco=&result=</ref> Their most recent pre-championship games, during the 2022 Candidates tournament, resulted in one win to Nepomniachtchi and one draw.<ref name=h2h /><ref>{{cite web|last=Doggers|first=Peter|date=5 July 2022|title=Nepomniachtchi Increases Lead With Quick Draw As Nakamura Beats Caruana|url=https://www.chess.com/news/view/2022-fide-candidates-tournament-round-8|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=30 March 2023|publisher=Chess.com}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable"
|+Head-to-head record<ref name=h2h>{{cite web|url=https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?pid=54683&pid2=52629|title=Nepomniachtchi vs. Ding |publisher=Chessgames.com|access-date=30 March 2022|archive-date=|archive-url=|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
!colspan=2 |
![[Ian Nepomniachtchi|Nepomniachtchi]] wins
!Draw
![[Ding Liren|Ding]] wins
!Total
|- align=center
!rowspan=3 |Classical
|Nepomniachtchi (white) – Ding (black)
|2
|5
|0
|7
|- align=center
|Ding (white) – Nepomniachtchi (black)
|1
|3
|2
|6
|-
!Total
!3
!8
!2
!13
|- align=center
!colspan=2 |[[Blitz chess|Blitz]] / [[Rapid chess|rapid]] / exhibition
|13
|17
|9
|39
|-
!colspan=2 |Total
!16
!25
!11
!52
|}

===Schedule===
Games will start at 15:00 local time ([[Time in Kazakhstan|EKT]]), which is 09:00 [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]].

{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date
! Event
|-
| Friday, 7 April || Opening ceremony
|-
| Saturday, 8 April || Media day
|- style="background:lightgray" 
| Sunday, 9 April || Game 1
|- style="background:lightgray" 
| Monday, 10 April || Game 2
|-
| Tuesday, 11 April || Rest day
|- style="background:lightgray" 
| Wednesday, 12 April || Game 3
|- style="background:lightgray" 
| Thursday, 13 April || Game 4
|-
| Friday, 14 April || Rest day
|- style="background:lightgray" 
| Saturday, 15 April || Game 5
|- style="background:lightgray" 
| Sunday, 16 April || Game 6
|-
| Monday, 17 April || Rest day
|- style="background:lightgray" 
| Tuesday, 18 April || Game 7
|-
| Wednesday, 19 April || Rest day
|- style="background:lightgray" 
| Thursday, 20 April || Game 8
|- style="background:lightgray" 
| Friday, 21 April || Game 9
|-
| Saturday, 22 April || Rest day
|- style="background:lightgray" 
| Sunday, 23 April || Game 10
|- style="background:lightgray"
| Monday, 24 April || Game 11
|-
| Tuesday, 25 April || Rest day
|- style="background:lightgray" 
| Wednesday, 26 April || Game 12
|- style="background:lightgray"
| Thursday, 27 April || Game 13
|-
| Friday, 28 April || Rest day
|- style="background:lightgray" 
| Saturday, 29 April || Game 14
|- style="background:lightgray"
| Sunday, 30 April || Tiebreaks
|-
| Monday, 1 May || Closing ceremony
|}
{{col-end}}

The closing ceremony will be held on 30 April if a player has already won the match in the classical portion. 

If the match ends before 14 games (because one player has reached 7½ or more points), the closing ceremony will be conducted either on the day of the last game or the following day of the last game.

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Portal|Sport|Chess}}

{{World Chess Championships}}
{{World championships in 2023}}

[[Category:World Chess Championships|2023]]
[[Category:2023 in chess]]
[[Category:Scheduled sports events|Chess World Championship 2023]]
[[Category:April 2023 sports events in Asia]]
[[Category:May 2023 sports events in Asia]]
[[Category:2023 in Kazakhstani sport]]