2011 World Cup: Rules and Regulations

All the chess players not depending on their rating start the game from the 1^st round, i.e. from the 1/64 of the final. Each round except for the final consists of two games with the popular now FIDE time control (1 hour and 30 minutes for 40 moves plus 30 minutes until the end of the game with additional 30 seconds for every move). There is one game per one day. If these two games are finished with score 1-1 (either two draws or each of the opponents wins 1 game each), the third day is a so-called tie-break– players have additional games with a shortened time control. According to Regulations at the beginning they play two games with the time control of 25 minutes for all the moves plus 10 seconds for every made move. If still there is no winner then there are other two games with an even shorter time control: 10 minutes until the end of the game plus 10 seconds per move. If theses two games are drawn, the opponents play two blitz-games with the time control of 5 minutes until the end of the game plus 3 seconds per move. If even these two mini matches do not determine the winner, then there is the last decisive game “until the result” (it is called «Armageddon»): white have 5 minutes and black – 4 (with additional 3 seconds per every move starting from the 61^st one) where the draw is equaled to the victory of Black.

This is the system to determine the winners of the preliminary rounds. In the final the regulation is the same with the exception that instead of two games with “long” time control the finalists are to play four. Those who lose in semifinal do not leave Ugra either, but play an additional match (according to the same regulation as in the final) for the third place and the right to participate in the Candidates Matches. The first two “tickets” are given to the finalists.

Schedule of the World Cup:

28-30 August – 1/64 of the finals

31 August – 2 September – 1/32 of the finals

3-5 September – 1/16 of the finals

6-8 September – 1/8 of the finals

9-11 September – quarterfinals

12-14 September – semifinals

15 September – Rest Day

16-20 September – Finals

The total prize-fund of the World Cup is 1 million 600 thousand US dollars. The players knocked out after the first round will get 6000 USD, knocked out in 1/32 of the finals -10000 USD, in 1/16 – 16000 USD, in 1/8 – 25000 USD, in the quarterfinals – 35000 USD, in semifinals – 50000 USD, the one lost in the final will get 80000 USD and the winner of the World Cup will receive 120000 USD.