The World Chess Championship 2016 was a chess match between the reigning world champion Magnus Carlsen and the challenger Sergey Karjakin to determine the World Chess Champion. Carlsen had been world champion since 2013, while Karjakin qualified as challenger by winning the 2016 Candidates Tournament. The best-of-12 match, organized by FIDE and its commercial partner World Chess (former Agon), was played in New York City between 10 and 30 November 2016.
The match opened with seven consecutive draws before Karjakin won the eighth game. Carlsen evened the score by winning the tenth game. All other games were drawn, leaving the match at a 6–6 tie, so tie breaks decided the match. After two draws to begin the rapid chess tie break, Carlsen won the remaining two games to win the match and retain his title.Carlsen wins tie-break and remains World Champion!, chessbase.com, 30-11-2016
Planning timeline 27 November, 2014: At the closing ceremony for the 2014 championship, FIDE president Ilyumzhinov announces the 2016 match will take place in the United States.Wrapping Up The World Championship by Mike Klein (Chess.Com) 4 October, 2015: At the 2015 Chess World Cup, Ilyumzhinov reiterates the location as the United States, saying that the date and place were already final. 15 December, 2015: FIDE and Agon sign media rights deal with Norwegian broadcaster NRK, listing 7-figures (in unknown currency) until 2020.FIDE and Agon sign historic media rights with NRK (FIDE press release) 8 January, 2016: FIDE announces that Agon has made operational an official broadcasting platform (worldchess.com) for the World Chess Championship cycle events (already present in October 2015).Agon Launches Site (FIDE News) 1 March, 2016: Agon announce that the city will be New York City, with approval from its mayor.NYC to host 2016 WCC by Jonathan Zalman, Wall Street Journal, 1 March 2016 4 March, 2016: Agon announce that only approved broadcasters will be allowed to retransmit moves from the Candidates and ensuing World Championship.Moves from Candidates Tournament exclusively shown by approved broadcast partners (Agon) 28 March, 2016: Sergey Karjakin wins the Candidates Tournament 2016 to qualify to play Magnus Carlsen. 26 May, 2016: Agon head Ilya Merenzon says that "The contract between FIDE and Agon is finalized and is being signed. The contract between the players and FIDE will be finalized in the next 2–3 weeks."Interview with Agon CEO Ilya Merenzon (FIDE) 7 June, 2016: Agon announces that a venue has been found in New York City, with only sponsor details and paperwork left to be finalized in the next 2 weeks.""VM-sjefen bekrefter: - Kampen spilles i New York. Vi har funnet arena" Dagbladet (Norwegian) article, June 7, "World Championship organizer confirms: - The match will take place in New York. We have found a venue" 8 August, 2016: Agon announce the venue as the Fulton Market building in the South Street Seaport in lower Manhattan.A historic site for the World Championship Match (Agon) 30 August, 2016: Agon publish on their website that PhosAgro has signed a strategic partnership contract as a sponsor of the 2016 FIDE World Chess Championship.PhosAgro Announces Sponsorship (Agon) 12 September, 2016: Agon announce EG Capital Advisors as a sponsor, and give pricing packages for virtual reality viewing options.Carlsen-Karjakin to include virtual reality (Chess.Com, Mike Klein) 30 September, 2016: Tickets go on sale. The lowest price listed is $75 per game. 17 October, 2016: Agon announce their new broadcast model for the World Championship.World Chess Broadcasts (Press Release, Agon)Q&A on Broadcast Rights (WorldChess, owned by Agon)
Candidates Tournament
The Candidates Tournament to determine the challenger was held on 11–30 March 2016 in Moscow, Russia, with FIDE's commercial partner Agon as the official organizer, with support from the Russian Chess Federation.World Chess Candidates Tournament (FIDE) The tournament was an 8-player double round-robin, with five different qualification paths possible: the loser of the World Chess Championship 2014 match, the top two finishers in the Chess World Cup 2015, the top two finishers in the FIDE Grand Prix 2014–15, next two highest rated players (average FIDE rating on the 12 monthly lists from January to December 2015, with at least 30 games played) who played in Chess World Cup 2015 or FIDE Grand Prix 2014–15, and one player nominated by Agon (the organizers).
Qualified players Qualification path Player Age Rating Rankrunners up of the World Chess Championship 2014 match Viswanathan Anand46276212Winner of the Chess World Cup 2015 Sergey Karjakin26276013Runner-up of the Chess World Cup 2015 Peter Svidler39275716The top two finishers in the FIDE Grand Prix 2014–15 Fabiano Caruana2327943 Hikaru Nakamura2827906The top two players with highest average 2015 rating who played in World Cup or Grand Prix Veselin Topalov4127808 Anish Giri2127934 Wild card nomination of the organizers (Agon), with FIDE rating in July 2015 at least 2725 Levon Aronian3327867
Standings
Results by round
Pairings and results
Numbers in parentheses indicate players' scores prior to the round.
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%" |- |colspan=4 style="background:#cccccc;" | Round 1 – 11 March 2016 |- |Viswanathan Anand || Veselin Topalov ||align=center width="30px"| 1–0 || C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defence |- |Anish Giri || Levon Aronian ||align=center | ½–½ || D37 Queen's Gambit Declined |- |Sergey Karjakin || Peter Svidler ||align=center | ½–½ || D16 Slav Defence, Soultanbéieff Variation |- |Hikaru Nakamura || Fabiano Caruana ||align=center | ½–½ || A30 English Opening, Symmetrical Variation |- |colspan=4 style="background:#cccccc;" | Round 2 – 12 March 2016 |- |Levon Aronian (½) || Viswanathan Anand (1) ||align=center | ½–½ || D37 Queen's Gambit Declined |- | Fabiano Caruana (½) || Anish Giri (½) ||align=center | ½–½ || B32 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defence |- | Sergey Karjakin (½) || Hikaru Nakamura (½) ||align=center | 1–0 || E15 Queen's Indian Defence, Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation, Intermezzo Line |- | Peter Svidler (½) || Veselin Topalov (0) ||align=center | ½–½ || C67 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defence |- |colspan=4 style="background:#cccccc;" | Round 3 – 13 March 2016 |- |Viswanathan Anand (1½) || Fabiano Caruana (1) ||align=center | ½–½ || C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defence |- | Anish Giri (1) || Sergey Karjakin (1½) ||align=center | ½–½ || E15 Queen's Indian Defence, Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation, Intermezzo Line |- | Hikaru Nakamura (½) || Peter Svidler (1) ||align=center | ½–½ || D16 Slav Defence, Soultanbéieff Variation |- | Veselin Topalov (½) || Levon Aronian (1) ||align=center | 0–1 || A29 English, Four Knights, Kingside Fianchetto |- |colspan=4 style="background:#cccccc;" | Round 4 – 15 March 2016 |- | Fabiano Caruana (1½) || Veselin Topalov (½) ||align=center | ½–½ || C50 Giuoco Piano |- | Sergey Karjakin (2) || Viswanathan Anand (2) ||align=center | 1–0 || A06 Réti Opening |- | Hikaru Nakamura (1) || Anish Giri (1½) ||align=center | ½–½ || D45 Semi-Slav, Stoltz Variation |- | Peter Svidler (1½) || Levon Aronian (2) ||align=center | ½–½ || A22 English, Four Knights, Smyslov System |- |colspan=4 style="background:#cccccc;" | Round 5 – 16 March 2016 |- | Viswanathan Anand (2) || Hikaru Nakamura (1½) ||align=center | ½–½ || C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defence |- | Levon Aronian (2½) || Fabiano Caruana (2) ||align=center | ½–½ || A77 Benoni Defence, Classical, Czerniak Defence, Tal Line |- | Anish Giri (2) || Peter Svidler (2) ||align=center | ½–½ || D73 Neo-Grünfeld Defence |- | Veselin Topalov (1) || Sergey Karjakin (3) ||align=center | ½–½ || E15 Queen's Indian Defence, Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation, Intermezzo Line |- |colspan=4 style="background:#cccccc;" | Round 6 – 17 March 2016 |- | || Peter Svidler (2½) ||align=center | 1–0 || C88 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Anti-Marshall 8.a4 |- | Veselin Topalov (1½) || Anish Giri (2½) ||align=center | ½–½ || E61 Indian Game, West Indian Defence |- | Levon Aronian (3) || Hikaru Nakamura (2) ||align=center | 1–0 || E15 Queen's Indian Defence, Fianchetto Variation, Nimzowistch Variation |- | Fabiano Caruana (2½) || Sergey Karjakin (3½) ||align=center | ½–½ || E15 Queen's Indian Defence, Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation, Intermezzo Line |- |colspan=4 style="background:#cccccc;" | Round 7 – 19 March 2016 |- | Peter Svidler (2½) || Fabiano Caruana (3) ||align=center | ½–½ || A35 English, Symmetrical, Four Knights |- | Sergey Karjakin (4) || Levon Aronian (4) ||align=center | ½–½ || A08 King's Indian Attack |- |Hikaru Nakamura (2) || Veselin Topalov (2) ||align=center | 1–0 || D12 Slav Defence, Quiet Variation, Schallop Defence |- | Anish Giri (3) || ||align=center | ½–½ || D37 Queen's Gambit Declined, Barmen Variation
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%" |- |colspan=4 style="background:#cccccc;" | Round 8 – 20 March 2016 |- | Peter Svidler (3) || Sergey Karjakin (4½) ||align=center width="30px" | ½–½ || A29 English, Four Knights, Fianchetto Line |- | Fabiano Caruana (3½) || Hikaru Nakamura (3) ||align=center | 1–0 || C65 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defence |- | Levon Aronian (4½) || Anish Giri (3½) ||align=center | ½–½ || D43 Semi-Slav Defense |- | Veselin Topalov (2) || Viswanathan Anand (4) ||align=center | ½–½ || A11 Queen's Gambit Declined, Barmen Variation |- |colspan=4 style="background:#cccccc;" | Round 9 – 21 March 2016 |- | Veselin Topalov (2½) || Peter Svidler (3½) ||align=center | ½–½ || C88 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Anti-Marshall 8.a4 |- | Viswanathan Anand (4½) || Levon Aronian (5) ||align=center | 1–0 || C50 Giuoco Piano |- | Anish Giri (4) || Fabiano Caruana (4½) ||align=center | ½–½ || D70 Neo-Grünfeld Defence, Goglidze Attack |- | Hikaru Nakamura (3) || Sergey Karjakin (5) ||align=center | ½–½ || E15 Queen's Indian Defence, Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation, Intermezzo Line |- |colspan=4 style="background:#cccccc;" | Round 10 – 23 March 2016 |- | Peter Svidler (4) || Hikaru Nakamura (3½) ||align=center | ½–½ || A29 English, Four Knights, Fianchetto Line |- | Sergey Karjakin (5½) || Anish Giri (4½) ||align=center | ½–½ || D45f Semi-Slav, Stoltz Variation |- | Fabiano Caruana (5) || Viswanathan Anand (5½) ||align=center | 1–0 || A29 English, Four Knights, Fianchetto Line |- | Levon Aronian (5) || Veselin Topalov (3) ||align=center | ½–½ || A29 English, Four Knights, Fianchetto Line |- |colspan=4 style="background:#cccccc;" | Round 11 – 24 March 2016 |- | Levon Aronian (5½) || Peter Svidler (4½) ||align=center | 0–1 || D16 Slav Defence, Soultanbéieff Variation |- | Veselin Topalov (3½) || Fabiano Caruana (6) ||align=center | ½–½ || A33 English, Symmetrical, Anti-Benoni |- | Viswanathan Anand (5½) || Sergey Karjakin (6) ||align=center | 1–0 || A07 Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defence |- | Anish Giri (5) || Hikaru Nakamura (4) ||align=center | ½–½ || C50 Giuoco Piano |- |colspan=4 style="background:#cccccc;" | Round 12 – 25 March 2016 |- | Peter Svidler (5½) || Anish Giri (5½) ||align=center | ½–½ || A29 English, Four Knights, Fianchetto Line |- | Hikaru Nakamura (4½) || ||align=center | 1–0 || A29 English, Four Knights, Fianchetto Line |- | Sergey Karjakin (6) || Veselin Topalov (4) ||align=center | 1–0 || B90 Sicilian Defence, Najdorf Variation, Adams Attack |- | Fabiano Caruana (6½) || Levon Aronian (5½) ||align=center | ½–½ || C78 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Martinez Variation |- |colspan=4 style="background:#cccccc;" | Round 13 – 27 March 2016 |- | Fabiano Caruana (7) || Peter Svidler (6) ||align=center | ½–½ || C78 Ruy Lopez, Closed, Martinez Variation |- | Levon Aronian (6) || Sergey Karjakin (7) ||align=center | ½–½ || A29 English, Four Knights, Fianchetto Line |- | Veselin Topalov (4) || Hikaru Nakamura (5½) ||align=center | 0–1 || D37 Queen's Gambit Declined |- | || Anish Giri (6) ||align=center | ½–½ || C50 Giuoco Piano |- |colspan=4 style="background:#cccccc;" | Round 14 – 28 March 2016 |-