Based on feedback from the 2024 Circuit, the FIDE Council has approved several changes to the 2025 Circuit Rules. These aim to create a more balanced and competitive system for awarding FIDE Circuit points, ensuring that players are fairly rewarded for their performances in high-quality tournaments.
The main updates are as follows:
1. Modification of the number of players eligible for circuit points in opens
- For tournaments with fewer than 10 participants, points will still be awarded to the top three finishers.
- In round robin tournaments with 10 to 12 participants, points will be awarded to the first 4.
- For tournaments with more than 12 participants, the first 5 will receive points.
This change is intended to better reflect the value of longer tournaments by awarding points to a larger number of players, thus fairly rewarding larger tournaments.
2. Eligibility for double-round-robin super-tournaments
- Double round-robin tournaments with at least 6 participants and an average ranking of 2700 Elo points will also be eligible for circuit points.
This change recognizes the importance of prestigious super-tournaments, which often bring together top players and are key events on the FIDE calendar.
3. Points reduction for tournaments with several rounds in one day
- Tournaments with two rounds in one day will have a reduced Circuit points total.
The idea is to reduce points for shorter tournaments, where the compressed schedule may not reflect the same level of effort as longer events.
