Vaishali, Rameshbabu (2448) — Chan, Kim Yew (2292), Qatar Masters (1) 2023, 1-0

The Qatar Masters Open is one of the strongest open tournaments in the world, where only players rated 2300 or higher can take part. The 2023 edition of the event starts on October 11 at 8 a.m. ET/14:00 CEST/17:30 IST and has the confirmed participation of GMs Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and other chess titans. The event counts with a $108,250 prize fund.

Only players with a FIDE rating of 2300 or higher can play in the 2023 Qatar Masters Open. Below is a list of some of the top-seeded players who have already confirmed their participation:

GM Magnus Carlsen
GM Hikaru Nakamura
GM Anish Giri
GM Gukesh D
GM Praggnanandhaa R
GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov
GM Arjun Erigaisi
GM Parham Maghsoodloo
GM Sanan Sjugirov
GM Jorden van Foreest

Schedule

The event starts on October 11 at 8 a.m. ET/14:00 CEST/17:30 IST. Click here for a detailed schedule.
Format

The event is a nine-round Swiss.
The time control for the games is 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game. There is a 30-second increment after each move.
Players can’t offer or agree to a draw before Black’s 30th move.
Players earn 1 point for a win, 0.5 for a draw, and 0 for a loss.
The player with the most points at the end of the nine rounds wins.
The best woman and best Arabic players also receive prizes.

Tiebreaks

If there is a tie for first place, the following playoff tiebreakers apply:

Two-player tie:
Players contest a two-game match in the 5+3 time control.
Players contest another two-game match in the same time control.
Players keep playing 5+3 games until a decisive game decides the winner, with colors reversing after each odd-numbered game.
Three-player tie:
The player with the highest performance rating gets seeded directly into the playoff final.
The other two players contest a two-game match in the 5+3 time control.
If there’s a tie in any of the legs of the playoff, the two-player tiebreakers described above decide the winner.
Four-player tie:
Players contest a single-elimination bracket.
Matches consist of two 5+3 games.
The player who loses the final gets second place, with the two players who lost in the semifinals getting shared third and fourth prizes.
If there’s a tie in any of the legs of the playoff, the two-player tiebreakers described above decide the winner.
If more than four players tie:
The four players with the highest performance rating qualify for the playoffs, following the four-player tie procedure described above.

Prizes

The 2023 Qatar Masters Open features a $108,250 prize fund, distributed as described below:

General Prizes

1st: $25,000
2nd: $15,000
3rd: $10,000
4th: $7,500
5th: $6,000
6th: $5,000
7th: $4,000
8th: $3,000
9th: $2,000
10th: $1,750
11th: $1,500
12th: $1,250
13th: $1,000
14th: $750
15th: $500

Prizes are equally divided among tied players, except for first-place, best woman, and best Arabic player prizes. Players can’t win more than one prize, taking home the biggest prize in case they win more than one.

Location

The 2023 Qatar Masters Open will take place at the Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail, Qatar.