Eight of the world's best gathered in Madrid to decide who would challenge Magnus Carlsen. Just months after losing the 2021 title match to Carlsen, Ian Nepomniachtchi answered emphatically — winning the Candidates Tournament 2022 undefeated, a point and a half clear, and clinching first place with a full round to spare.
Eight for the crown
The 2022 Candidates was staged at the Palacio de Santoña in Madrid over 16 June to 5 July, an 8-player double round-robin of fourteen rounds carrying a €500,000 prize fund and a single prize beyond money: the right to challenge for the world title.
The field was Ian Nepomniachtchi, Ding Liren, Teimour Radjabov, Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, Alireza Firouzja, Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Richárd Rapport. Ding Liren entered as a late replacement after Sergey Karjakin, originally qualified, was barred by FIDE — Ding scrambling to play enough rated games in time to claim the vacant place.
Nepomniachtchi runs the field
Nepomniachtchi took charge early and never let go. He finished on 9½/14 without losing a single game — five wins and nine draws — a point and a half ahead of Ding Liren, and sealed victory with a round still to play. It was the highest score posted in any Candidates since the eight-player format was adopted in 2013.
A title match reshaped
Nepomniachtchi's win earned him a rematch for the crown, but the shape of the title match changed around him: Magnus Carlsen declined to defend. In his place the championship was contested by the two Madrid finalists, Nepomniachtchi and runner-up Ding Liren, in 2023 — a match Ding won in tiebreaks to become the seventeenth World Chess Champion.
Final standings
| # | Player | Score | Record | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nepomniachtchi, Ian | 9½/14 | +5 -0 =9 | games |
| 2 | Ding, Liren | 8/14 | +4 -2 =8 | games |
| =3 | Nakamura, Hikaru | 7½/14 | +4 -3 =7 | games |
| =3 | Radjabov, Teimour | 7½/14 | +3 -2 =9 | games |
| 5 | Caruana, Fabiano | 6½/14 | +3 -4 =7 | games |
| 6 | Firouzja, Alireza | 6/14 | +2 -4 =8 | games |
| =7 | Duda, Jan Krzysztof | 5½/14 | +1 -4 =9 | games |
| =7 | Rapport, Richard | 5½/14 | +1 -4 =9 | games |
Cross Table
| Rank | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nepomniachtchi, Ian | 1½ | ½½ | ½½ | ½½ | 11 | 1½ | 1½ | |
| 2 | Ding, Liren | 0½ | ½1 | ½0 | ½1 | ½½ | ½1 | ½1 | |
| 3 | Nakamura, Hikaru | ½½ | ½0 | 10 | 01 | ½1 | ½1 | ½½ | |
| 4 | Radjabov, Teimour | ½½ | ½1 | 01 | 0½ | ½½ | ½½ | ½1 | |
| 5 | Caruana, Fabiano | ½½ | ½0 | 10 | 1½ | 10 | ½0 | ½½ | |
| 6 | Firouzja, Alireza | 00 | ½½ | ½0 | ½½ | 01 | ½½ | ½1 | |
| 7 | Duda, Jan Krzysztof | 0½ | ½0 | ½0 | ½½ | ½1 | ½½ | ½0 | |
| 8 | Rapport, Richard | 0½ | ½0 | ½½ | ½0 | ½½ | ½0 | ½1 |
Each cell shows the row player's recorded results against the column player. ● = same player.