FIDE Grand Prix 2008–2010
The FIDE Grand Prix 2008–2010 was a series of six chess tournaments that formed part of the qualification for the World Chess Championship 2012. It was administered by FIDE, the World Chess Federation. The event was won by Levon Aronian, with Teimour Radjabov second and Alexander Grischuk third.
FIDE Grand Prix 2008–10 winner Levon Aronian | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Sport | Chess |
| Location | Baku Sochi Elista Nalchik Jermuk Astrakhan |
| Dates | 19 April 2008– 25 May 2010 |
| Administrator | FIDE |
Tournament format(s) | Series of Round-robin tournaments |
| Final positions | |
| Champion | Levon Aronian |
| Runner-up | Teimour Radjabov |
The top two finishers here formed two of the eight players who played in the 2012 Candidates Tournament to determine the challenger for the world champion. After Magnus Carlsen withdrew from the Candidates, Grischuk took his place, due to his third place in the Grand Prix.
The winner of the Grand Prix was originally scheduled to play a match in 2010 against the winner of the Chess World Cup 2009, with the winner of that match becoming the challenger for the World Chess Championship 2012. On November 25, 2008, FIDE announced major changes, with the winner and runner-up qualifying instead for an eight-player Candidates Tournament. This caused a number of protests, with Magnus Carlsen and Michael Adams withdrawing, and two other players being replaced. (For details, see World Chess Championship 2012.)
A number of host cities withdrew, causing all the tournaments except the first two to be rescheduled.