Berlin Candidates - Kickoff

A few weeks ago FIDE issued the 2018 FIDE Candidates' Tournament Pairings, including dates and times for the 14 rounds ('Round 1 on 10.03.2018 at 15.00'). I'll use this week's post to summarize available info about the event, just as I did two years ago in Moscow Candidates - Kickoff (March 2016).

• Official site(?): worldchess.com/berlin
• Current Local Time in Berlin, Germany
• My page: 2018 Candidates Tournament

I give the 'Official site' a question mark ('?'), because it's inconceivable to me that such a poorly designed page will be the main repository for daily information about the event. Perhaps I should follow the lead from a post on my main blog, World Championship Social Media (December 2016), and rely instead on other sources. Here, for example, is the organizer's Facebook page:-

• facebook.com/theworldchess

As with other recent Candidates tournaments, I developed a table with links to Chessgames.com showing how the eight players have fared against each other and against World Champion Magnus Carlsen. The links behind the players' names go to ratings.fide.com/card.

	Aro	Car	Din	Gri	Kar	Kra	Mam	So	:	Car
Aronian	xx	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	:	*
Caruana		xx	*	*	*	*	*	*	:	*
Ding Liren			xx	*	*	*	*	*	:	*
Grischuk				xx	*	*	*	*	:	*
Karjakin					xx	*	*	*	:	*
Kramnik						xx	*	*	:	*
Mamedyarov							xx	*	:	*
So, Wesley								xx	:	*
Carlsen									:	xx

The action starts on the second Saturday in March. This is not an event where the players finishing 1-2-3 get a place on the winners' podium. The only real prize is a ticket for one player to the title match, Carlsen - TBA; London, XI, 2018.