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Candidates Tournament

Arbiter & Tournament Origin: English (candidate from Latin) intermediate

The event that determines the official challenger for the World Chess Championship match.

Held under FIDE's cycle of qualification events, the Candidates Tournament brings together a small field of top-ranked and qualified players, with the winner earning the right to challenge the reigning World Champion.

Etymology

From English (candidate from Latin) — candidate (Latin candidatus, white-robed, from candidus, white) , literally “clothed in white - a Roman office-seeker in a white toga”

Candidate is in English from about 1600, from Latin candidatus meaning white-robed, because Roman office-seekers wore a bright white toga while canvassing for election, from candidus meaning white. In chess the word names the players competing for the right to challenge for the world championship. The Candidates Tournament has been organised by FIDE since 1950, as part of the qualifying cycle built around the Interzonal that FIDE established after taking control of the world championship following Alexander Alekhine's death; the first cycle began in 1948. The name is straightforwardly descriptive: the participants are candidates for the title match.

First documented: 1950 — First FIDE Candidates Tournament, 1950, per Wikipedia, Candidates Tournament

Translations

Translations for this term haven't been added yet.

Related terms

Round Robin Swiss System Tiebreak

Sources