FIDE Alters Championship Structure (Again)

In a move that can't really be called a surprise, FIDE has again changed the method they'll be using in the future for determining World Championship candidates. The new format calls for an eight-player Candidates Tournament (either a double round-robin or elimination matches, depending on what works for the organizer), with players qualifying in a variety of ways, such as through the World Cup or Grand Prix.

To be honest, the new format sounds just fine. It gives more players a chance to get into the penultimate event, where this small group can determine a challenger by playing amongst themselves, rather than just having two players qualify for a single Candidates Match.

The problem is the change itself. FIDE has changed the rules and format for the World Championship Cycle so many times, that it's hard to depend on any announced format actually holding up by the time the matches or tournaments are expected to be played. The world of chess could desperately use some stability -- hopefully this new format will stick around for at least a couple cycles.