The Candidate Tournament is one of the most demanding in chess worldwide, since 8 of the best players in the world participate in 14 rounds to determine the winner, who will have the right to challenge the current champion of the world, Magnus Carlsen, to a match for the world title. But in addition, the winner will receive a cash prize and here we will tell you how much it is.
This tournament takes place every two years, and it is usually attended by 8 of the best players in the world, but contrary to what many think, they are not the 8 best players in the world ranking, but rather the participants are defined by qualifying tournaments (for example, this year Levon Aronian or Wesley So, 5th and 6th in the FIDE ranking will not participate).
The 8 qualified will play 14 rounds (click here for more details on how the Candidates Tournament works) twice against each player: once with white and once with black. Whoever comes first by points, or in case of equality after applying certain tiebreaker criteria, will be the champion and, in addition to being able to challenge Carlsen, will receive a money prize.
How much money does the champion of the Candidates Tournament receive?
The total prize pool for the entire tournament is €500,000 (approximately $535,000) and will be distributed among the players as follows: €48,000 for first place, €36,000 for second and €24,000 for third. On the other hand, there will be an additional €3,500 for each player for every half point they get.