International chess body announces proposed changes to FIDE Circuit 2025 regulations
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) announced on Sunday that it is planning several changes to the FIDE Circuit 2025 Regulations.
According to FIDE, these changes are based on feedback from the 2024 Circuit which aims to create a more competitive environment for all participants.
“These changes are designed to create a more balanced and competitive system for awarding FIDE Circuit points, ensuring that players are fairly rewarded for their performance in high-quality tournaments,” reads the FIDE release.
The proposed changes:
1. Changes to the Number of Players Eligible for Circuit Points in Round-Robin Tournaments
For tournaments with fewer than 10 participants, points will still be awarded to the top 3 finishers.
In round-robin tournaments with 10–12 participants, points will be awarded to the top 4 finishers.
For tournaments with more than 12 participants, the top 5 finishers will receive points.
Why?
This change aims to better reflect the value of longer tournaments by awarding points to more players, ensuring that larger tournaments are rewarded fairly.
2. Eligibility of Double Round-Robin Super Tournaments
Double round-robin tournaments with at least 6 participants and an average rating of 2700 Elo points will also be eligible for Circuit points.
Why?
This change acknowledges the importance of prestigious super tournaments, which often feature top-level players and are key events in the FIDE calendar.
3. Reduction of Points for Tournaments with Multiple Rounds in One Day
Tournaments with two rounds in one day will have a reduced total of Circuit points.
Why?
The idea is to reduce points for shorter tournaments, where the compressed schedule might not reflect the same level of effort as longer events.
The final version of the FIDE Circuit 2025 Regulations is expected to be approved by the FIDE Council in the coming days and published by December 31, 2024.
WHAT IS FIDE CIRCUIT?
The circuit is one of the paths to qualify for the FIDE Candidates Tournament 2026. One player who would achieve the highest results during 2024 in eligible tournaments gets the spot in the FIDE Candidates.
Each player had to play in a minimum of five eligible tournaments, including at least four with a standard time control up untill now according to 2024 regulations.
The final score is calculated as the sum of the player’s up to seven highest scores.
FIDE CIRCUIT LEADERBOARD 2024
| Rank | Name | Rating | Country |
| 1. | Fabiano Caruana | 130.42 | USA |
| 2. | Arjun Erigaisi | 124.40 | India |
| 3. | Nodirbek Abdusattorov | 108.49 | Uzbekistan |
| 4. | Alireza Firouzja | 88.16 | France |
| 5. | D. Gukesh | 84.13 | India |
| 6. | R. Praggnanandhaa | 66.76 | India |
| 7. | Nodirbek Yakubboev | 57.40 | Uzbekistan |
| 8. | Amin Tabatabaei | 56.39 | Iran |
| 9. | Shamsiddin Vokhidov | 55.56 | Uzbekistan |
| 10. | Daniel Dardha | 51.73 | Belgium |
(Updated after Qatar Masters 2024)