FIDE World Chess Championship 2018

♟️ Match Format & Regulations

🌐 Classical Match

• Structure: A 12-game classical match.

• Victory Condition: The first player to score 6.5 points or more is crowned World Champion.

• Tie-break: If the score is tied 6–6 after Game 12, a playoff series is triggered.

• Time Control:

  • 100 minutes for the first 40 moves.

  • 50 minutes for the next 20 moves.

  • 15 minutes for the remainder of the game, with a 30-second increment per move starting from Move 1.

⚖️ Tie-Break Playoff Rules

If the match ends in a draw, the tie is resolved through the following sequential stages:

1. Rapid Playoff

• Format: A 4-game rapid match.

• Time Control: 25 minutes per player, with a 10-second increment per move.

2. Blitz Playoff

• Format: Up to 5 mini-matches of 2 games each (maximum 10 games total).

• Time Control: 5 minutes per player, with a 3-second increment per move.

• Condition: The playoff ends immediately if either player wins a 2-game mini-match.

3. Sudden-Death "Armageddon" Game

If the score remains level after all 5 Blitz mini-matches, a single decisive game is played:

• Color Allocation: The winner of the draw of lots chooses their piece color.

• Time Control:

  • White: 5 minutes.

  • Black: 4 minutes.

  • Increment: A 3-second increment per move is added starting from Move 61.

• Victory Condition: White must win. In the event of a draw, the player with the Black pieces is declared World Champion.