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FIDE World Chess Championship 2018

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The FIDE World Chess Championship 2018 is one of the most distinguished and unique classic chess encounters in modern history. The tournament was held in a LAN format at The College in Holborn in London, United Kingdom from November 9 to 28, 2018, organized by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and World Chess (formerly Agon), with a total prize pool of €1,000,000.

ChessNov 9, 2018 – Nov 28, 2018London, United KingdomUnited Kingdom€1,000,000FIDE

Format

♟️ 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.