Grenke Chess Classic

Grenke Chess Classic is an annual chess tournament held in the German cities of Karlsruhe and Baden-Baden and sponsored by Grenke AG.^[1] It was held from 2013 to 2019, with the exception of 2016. The tournament returned in 2024 after a five-year hiatus with a new rapid time control (45+10) to replace the previous classical format.^[2]

Winners

#	Year	Winner
1	2013	Viswanathan Anand (India)
2	2014	Arkadij Naiditsch (Germany)
3	2015	Magnus Carlsen (Norway)
4	2017	Levon Aronian (Armenia)
5	2018	Fabiano Caruana (United States)
6	2019	Magnus Carlsen (Norway)
7	2024	Magnus Carlsen (Norway)

2013

Six players participated in the first edition of Grenke Chess. The winner was Viswanathan Anand ahead of Fabiano Caruana; they scored 6.5 and 6 out of 10, respectively.^[3]

1st Grenke Chess Classic, 7–17 February 2013, Baden-Baden, Germany, Category XIX (2714)
	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	Total	Wins	TPR
1	Viswanathan Anand (India)	2780		½ ½	½ ½	½ ½	1 1	½ 1	6½		2811
2	Fabiano Caruana (Italy)	2757	½ ½	Does not appear	1 ½	½ 0	1 1	½ ½	6		2778
3	Georg Meier (Germany)	2640	½ ½	0 ½	Does not appear	½ ½	0 1	½ 1	5	2	2729
4	Michael Adams (England)	2725	½ ½	½ 1	½ ½	Does not appear	0 ½	½ ½	5	1	2712
5	Arkadij Naiditsch (Germany)	2716	0 0	0 0	1 0	1 ½	Does not appear	½ 1	4		2642
6	Daniel Fridman (Germany)	2667	½ 0	½ ½	½ 0	½ ½	½ 0	Does not appear	3½		2614

2014

Arkadij Naiditsch, the highest-rated German chess player won the 2014 edition of Grenke Chess Classic ahead of David Baramidze.^[4] This edition was not a supertournament, and was a national competition: all eight participants came from Germany. It was a single Round-robin tournament, and two spots were provided for the players to win entry into the next edition of 2015.

2nd Grenke Chess Classic, 6–12 September 2014, Baden-Baden, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, Category XV (2609)
	Player	Title	Club	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total	Wins	Black	H2H	TPR
1	Arkadij Naiditsch (Germany)	GM	OSG Baden-Baden	2715		½	½	1	0	1	1	1	5				2752
2	David Baramidze (Germany)	GM	SV Hockenheim	2599	½	Does not appear	0	1	½	½	1	½	4	2			2661
3	Daniel Fridman (Germany)	GM	Mülheim-Nord 1931	2633	½	1	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	½	4	1			2656
4	Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu (Germany)	GM	OSG Baden-Baden	2672	0	0	½	Does not appear	1	½	1	½	3½	2	0	1	2600
5	Matthias Blübaum (Germany)	IM	SV Werder Bremen	2521	1	½	½	0	Does not appear	0	½	1	3½	2	0	0	2622
6	Georg Meier (Germany)	GM	OSG Baden-Baden	2652	0	½	½	½	1	Does not appear	½	½	3½	1			2603
7	Dennis Wagner (Germany)	IM	SV Hockenheim	2499	0	0	½	0	½	½	Does not appear	1	2½				2523
8	Philipp Schlosser (Germany)	GM	OSG Baden-Baden	2582	0	½	½	½	0	½	0	Does not appear	2				2455

2015

The tournament was played between 2–9 February 2015. With an average rating of 2752, it is the strongest edition of Grenke Chess in its history.^[5] Among the participants were Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Viswanathan Anand and Levon Aronian. The winner was Magnus Carlsen, who eventually won a five-game tiebreak with Arkadij Naiditsch with a score of 3–2 (two rapid, two blitz and one armageddon game).^[6]^[7]

3rd Grenke Chess Classic, 2–9 February 2015, Baden-Baden, Germany, Category XX (2750)
	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total	TB	Wins	TPR
1	Magnus Carlsen (Norway)	2865		0	1	½	½	½	1	1	4½	3		2835
2	Arkadij Naiditsch (Germany)	2706	1	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	½	1	4½	2		2858
3	Michael Adams (England)	2738	0	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	1	1	4		2	2802
4	Fabiano Caruana (Italy)	2811	½	½	½	Does not appear	1	½	½	½	4		1	2791
5	Levon Aronian (Armenia)	2777	½	½	½	0	Does not appear	½	1	½	3½		1	2746
6	Étienne Bacrot (France)	2711	½	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	3½		0	2755
7	Viswanathan Anand (India)	2797	0	½	0	½	0	½	Does not appear	1	2½			2641
8	David Baramidze (Germany)	2594	0	0	0	½	½	½	0	Does not appear	1½			2544

Notes

Final rapid/blitz/armageddon tie-break: Magnus Carlsen def. Arkadij Naiditsch, 3–2.^[8]
FIDE Ratings as of February 2015.^[9]

2017

The 2017 tournament took place from 15 to 22 April in Karlsruhe and Baden-Baden.^[10]

4th Grenke Chess Classic, 15–22 April 2017, Karlsruhe — Baden-Baden, Germany, Category XX (2730)
	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Total	Wins	Black	H2H	TPR
1	Levon Aronian (Armenia)	2774		½	½	1	1	1	1	½	5½	4			2953
2	Fabiano Caruana (United States)	2817	½	Does not appear	½	1	0	½	½	1	4	2			2767
3	Magnus Carlsen (Norway)	2838	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	1	4	1			2764
4	Arkadij Naiditsch (Azerbaijan)	2702	0	0	½	Does not appear	½	1	1	½	3½	2	2		2733
5	Hou Yifan (China)	2649	0	1	½	½	Does not appear	0	½	1	3½	2	1		2741
6	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France)	2803	0	½	½	0	1	Does not appear	1	½	3½	2	0		2719
7	Matthias Blübaum (Germany)	2634	0	½	½	0	½	0	Does not appear	½	2	0	0	½	2585
8	Georg Meier (Germany)	2621	½	0	0	½	0	½	½	Does not appear	2	0	0	½	2587

2018

5th Grenke Chess Classic, 31 March – 9 April 2018, Karlsruhe — Baden-Baden, Germany, Category XX (2736)
	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Wins	Black	H2H	TPR
1	Fabiano Caruana (United States)	2784		½	1	1	½	½	1	½	½	1	6½	4	3		2896
2	Magnus Carlsen (Norway)	2843	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	1	½	1	½	5½	2	1		2803
3	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France)	2789	0	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	1	1	½	5	2	1	½	2772
4	Nikita Vitiugov (Russia)	2735	0	½	½	Does not appear	½	1	½	½	½	1	5	2	1	½	2778
5	Levon Aronian (Armenia)	2794	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	1	½	½	½	5	1	0		2772
6	Matthias Blübaum (Germany)	2631	½	½	½	0	½	Does not appear	½	1	½	½	4½	1	0		2747
7	Arkadij Naiditsch (Azerbaijan)	2701	0	0	½	½	0	½	Does not appear	½	½	1	3½	1	1		2659
8	Viswanathan Anand (India)	2776	½	½	0	½	½	0	½	Does not appear	½	½	3½	0	0	½	2651
9	Hou Yifan (China)	2654	½	0	0	½	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	3½	0	0	½	2664
10	Georg Meier (Germany)	2648	0	½	½	0	½	½	0	½	½	Does not appear	3	0	0		2620

Notes

The tiebreaks were as follows: 1) number of wins; 2) number of black wins; 3) head-to-head.^[11]^[12]
2018 Grenke Chess Open A swiss tournament was won by 13-year-old German player Vincent Keymer with a score of 8/9.^[13] Keymer thus qualified for the Grenke Chess Classic 2019.^[14]

2019

6th Grenke Chess Classic, 20–29 April 2019, Karlsruhe — Baden-Baden, Germany, Category XIX (2724)
	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Wins	Black	H2H	TPR
1	Magnus Carlsen (Norway)	2845		½	½	1	1	½	1	1	1	1	7½				2983
2	Fabiano Caruana (United States)	2819	½	Does not appear	1	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	6				2838
3	Arkadij Naiditsch (Azerbaijan)	2695	½	0	Does not appear	½	0	1	½	½	1	1	5	3			2770
4	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France)	2773	0	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	1	1	5	2			2761
5	Peter Svidler (Russia)	2735	0	½	1	½	Does not appear	½	0	½	1	½	4½	2	1	½	2722
6	Viswanathan Anand (India)	2774	½	½	0	½	½	Does not appear	½	1	0	1	4½	2	1	½	2718
7	Levon Aronian (Armenia)	2763	0	½	½	½	1	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	4½	1			2719
8	Francisco Vallejo Pons (Spain)	2693	0	½	½	½	½	0	½	Does not appear	½	1	4				2693
9	Georg Meier (Germany)	2628	0	0	0	0	0	1	½	½	Does not appear	0	2	1	1		2514
10	Vincent Keymer (Germany)	2516	0	0	0	0	½	0	½	0	1	Does not appear	2	1	0		2527

Notes

2019 Grenke Chess Open A swiss tournament was won by GM Daniel Fridman (2629) with a score of 7½/9.

2024

The tournament returned in 2024 after a five-year hiatus. For the first time, the tournament was played in a rapid time control (45+10) instead of the former classical time control.^[2] The format was also changed into a double Round-robin tournament (2 games with reversed colors against each player), followed by playoffs to decide places 1, 3 and 5. Magnus Carlsen won the tournament.^[15]

7th Grenke Chess Classic, 26–31 March 2024, Karlsruhe — Baden-Baden, Cat. XIX (2724)
	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	Total
1	Magnus Carlsen (Norway)	2823	Does not appear	0 1	½ ½	1 1	½ ½	1 1	7
2	Richárd Rapport (Romania)	2708	1 0	Does not appear	0 ½	½ 1	½ 1	1 ½	6
3	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France)	2755	½ ½	1 ½	Does not appear	½ ½	½ ½	0 ½	5
4	Vincent Keymer (Germany)	2627	0 0	½ 0	½ ½	Does not appear	½ 1	½ ½	4
5	Ding Liren (China)	2818	½ ½	½ 0	½ ½	½ 0	Does not appear	½ ½	4
6	Daniel Fridman (Germany)	2575	0 0	0 ½	1 ½	½ ½	½ ½	Does not appear	4

4th-place tiebreaker
	Player	Rating	1	2	3	Total
4	Vincent Keymer (Germany)	2627	Does not appear	½ 1	1 -	2.5
5	Ding Liren (China)	2818	½ 0	Does not appear	0 1	1.5
6	Daniel Fridman (Germany)	2575	0 -	1 0	Does not appear	1

Match for 5th place
	Player	Rating	1	2	Total
5	Ding Liren (China)	2818	1	½	1.5
6	Daniel Fridman (Germany)	2575	0	½	0.5

Match for 3rd place
	Player	Rating	1	2	B1	B2	Total
3	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France)	2755	½	½	½	1	2.5
4	Vincent Keymer (Germany)	2627	½	½	½	0	1.5

Match for 1st place
	Player	Rating	1	2	Total
1	Magnus Carlsen (Norway)	2823	1	½	1.5
2	Richárd Rapport (Romania)	2708	0	½	0.5

Notes

2024 Grenke Chess Open A swiss tournament was won by GM Hans Niemann with a score of 8/9.

References

^ Fischer, Johannes (15 September 2014). "Arkadij Naiditsch wins Grenke Chess Classic". ChessBase. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
^ ^a ^b McGourty, Colin (2 February 2024). "Carlsen, Ding To Clash As GRENKE Chess Classic Returns".
^ "Grenke Chess Classic 2013 - Paarungen & Tabelle". Grenkechessclassic.de. Archived from the original on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
^ "Grenke Chess Classic 2014 - Paarungen & Tabelle". Grenkechessclassic.com. 8 January 2013. Archived from the original on 23 March 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
^ "Grenke Chess Classic 2015 - GRENKE Chess Classic Baden-Baden 2015". Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
^ "Grenke Chess Classic Tournament 2015". Chess Games. 10 February 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
^ "Grenke Chess Classic 2015 - Pairings & standings". Grenkechessclassic.de. 9 February 2015. Archived from the original on 11 April 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
^ Crowther, Mark (2 February 2015). "3rd GRENKE Chess Classic 2015". The Week in Chess. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
^ "Top 100 Players February 2015 – Archive". FIDE Online.
^ "Grenke Chess Classic 2017". Archived from the original on 10 March 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
^ Grenke Chess Classic 2018 at Chess24
^ "Grenke Chess Classic 2018 - Pairings & standings". Grenkechessclassic.com. Archived from the original on 3 April 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
^ "Ergebnisse 3. GRENKE Chess Open". Ergebnisse.grenkechessopen.de. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
^ "Vincent Keymer wins GRENKE Chess Open 2018! - GRENKE Chess Open". Grenkechessopen.de. 3 April 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
^ McGourty, Colin (31 March 2024). "Carlsen Wins Round-Robin As Ding Suffers".

External links

Official website of Grenke Chess Tournament

[1] Fischer, Johannes (15 September 2014). "Arkadij Naiditsch wins Grenke Chess Classic". ChessBase. Retrieved 22 March 2016.

[:0-2] McGourty, Colin (2 February 2024). "Carlsen, Ding To Clash As GRENKE Chess Classic Returns".

[3] "Grenke Chess Classic 2013 - Paarungen & Tabelle". Grenkechessclassic.de. Archived from the original on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2018.

[4] "Grenke Chess Classic 2014 - Paarungen & Tabelle". Grenkechessclassic.com. 8 January 2013. Archived from the original on 23 March 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2018.

[5] "Grenke Chess Classic 2015 - GRENKE Chess Classic Baden-Baden 2015". Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.

[6] "Grenke Chess Classic Tournament 2015". Chess Games. 10 February 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2015.

[7] "Grenke Chess Classic 2015 - Pairings & standings". Grenkechessclassic.de. 9 February 2015. Archived from the original on 11 April 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2018.

[8] Crowther, Mark (2 February 2015). "3rd GRENKE Chess Classic 2015". The Week in Chess. Retrieved 18 April 2018.

[9] "Top 100 Players February 2015 – Archive". FIDE Online.

[10] "Grenke Chess Classic 2017". Archived from the original on 10 March 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2017.

[11] Grenke Chess Classic 2018 at Chess24

[12] "Grenke Chess Classic 2018 - Pairings & standings". Grenkechessclassic.com. Archived from the original on 3 April 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2018.

[13] "Ergebnisse 3. GRENKE Chess Open". Ergebnisse.grenkechessopen.de. Retrieved 18 April 2018.

[14] "Vincent Keymer wins GRENKE Chess Open 2018! - GRENKE Chess Open". Grenkechessopen.de. 3 April 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2018.

[15] McGourty, Colin (31 March 2024). "Carlsen Wins Round-Robin As Ding Suffers".

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