October 5, 2017 — World Chess Candidates, a dramatic tournament that determines the challenger for the World Chess Championship Match, will take place at Kühlhaus Berlin (Luckenwalder Str. 3, Berlin, Germany) on March 10—28, 2018.

The venue is a historic building located in Central Berlin at the meeting point of the most vibrant districts. The simple, yet modern cubic architecture of Kühlhaus will provide guests with the space of five floors to enjoy the dramatic chess competition.

Tickets are available at Ticketmaster starting today (http://www.ticketmaster.de/artist/fide-world-chess-candidates-tournament-tickets/989876). General tickets cost from €20 to €40 a day, Tournament passes go for €170.

There will be two types of VIP access: Silver and Gold. Silver passes, which include access to Game and Silver lounge zones, cost €425 (€50 to €150 a day). For the overall price of €1275 (€150 to €300 a day) Gold passes provide private access to the venue, access to Game and Gold lounge zones, opportunity to take part in blitz tournaments, one-on-one commentary from the world’s top Grandmasters, as well as private autograph sessions with chess stars. Entertainment zone with cafeteria and souvenir shops will be open for all guests. Kids under 7 years old will be admitted free of charge if accompanied.

Early Bird tickets (purchased until November 20, 2017) will go with a 30% discount.

The eight Candidates Tournament participants include Sergey Karjakin of Russia, who automatically qualified for the Candidates Tournament by playing in the 2016 FIDE World Chess Championship Match, Levon Aronian of Armenia and Ding Liren of China, the winner and runner-up of the 2017 FIDE World Cup, the top two finishers in the FIDE World Chess Grand Prix Series; two more players who qualify by rating; and a wild card choice.

Ilya Merenzon, World Chess CEO, says: “Kühlhaus Berlin is an amazing place for chess. A multi-floor venue, it gives us an opportunity to watch and broadcast games from both ground-level and upper-level cameras. From cinematography point of view, the broadcasting will be phenomenal!”.

The prize fund will total €420,000, or an estimated $490,000 at the current exchange rate. In addition to €420,000, the prize will also include 10% of the pay-per-view revenues from the event.

Those who are unable to visit the Tournament in person, will be able to follow it for free on worldchess.com or on partner site. Premium online tickets which include video, multi-language commentary and other perks, are available at $15. Sign up at https://worldchess.com/berlin/

Leading brands continue to support the Championship cycle and will be represented in the Candidates Tournament: EG Capital Advisors, an international asset management company, the Official Partner; Kaspersky Lab as World Chess and FIDE Official Cybersecurity Partner; S.T. Dupont as Official Writing Instrument; and Isklar as Official Water.

Official hashtags of the Tournament are #candidates2018 and #berlinplayschess

About FIDE:

The World Chess Federation or Fédération Internationale des Echecs, (FIDE), is recognized by its members and the International Olympic Committee as the international federation in the domain of chess, the supreme body responsible for the sport of chess and its Championships. FIDE has the sole rights to organize the World Chess Championships and the Chess Olympiads.

About World Chess:

World Chess is owned by Agon Limited, the official partner of the World Chess Federation (FIDE) and commercial rights holder to the World Chess Championship cycle. World Chess aims to develop and commercialize chess, create favorable environment for partners, players, and brands, and to significantly expand the broadcast coverage of the sport. World Chess became the owner of the commercial rights in 2012. The company successfully managed the 2012-2013 Grand Prix cycle, the 2014 World Championship Match, and the 2015 Rapid and Blitz World Championships. The company operates the worldchess.com website, the official broadcasting platform of the Championship cycle.

About EG Capital Advisors:

EG Capital Advisors is an international holding providing retail and institutional clients with investment capabilities that span multiple assets classes including publicly listed equity securities, private equity, fixed income and real estate. With assets under management of over USD 3 bn, EG Capital Advisors offers fixed and customized investment solutions worldwide and deep expertise in emerging markets. Website: www.egcapitaladvisors.com

About Kaspersky Lab:

Kaspersky Lab is a global cybersecurity company celebrating its 20 year anniversary in 2017. Kaspersky Lab’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and a number of specialized security solutions and services to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky Lab technologies and we help 270,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at www.kaspersky.com.

About S.T Dupont:

For nearly 145 years, S.T.Dupont master goldsmiths and silversmiths, lacquerers and trunk-makers have created unique and durable objects that are entirely crafted by hand and made in France for exceptional individuals. This legendary and unique know-how, combined with an entrepreneurial spirit true to founder Simon Tissot Dupont, contribute to perpetuating the international aura and recognition of a House that embodies Fine French Craftsmanship.

It is with great pride that S.T.Dupont preserves the know-how of its master craftsmen, who are heirs to skills passed down from generation to generation. The choice of connoisseurs from visionaries and artists to world leaders and royalty: Exceptional products for exceptional people since 1872. In the 21st century, the legend lives on, in perfect harmony with its roots and a future of promise.