Grand Slam Masters Final 2011

The Grand Slam Masters Final 2011 will run from 25 September - 11 October.

The tournament is a six-player double round-robin, split into two halves: the first from 25 Sept-1 Oct in São Paulo, Brazil and the second in Bilbao, Spain from 5-11 October.

The line-up for this major event is certainly impressive. Despite withdrawals from Vladimir Kramnik and Sergey Karjakin due to other commitments, the tournament still includes the top 3 ranked players on the latest official FIDE rating list.

The first round starts on Monday 26 September in São Paulo.  The games in the São Paulo leg of the tournament will start at 15:00 local time (18:00 UTC).  Games in the second leg in Bilbao are expected to start at 17:00 local time in Bilbao (15:00 UTC), apart from the last round which starts an hour earlier.

The so-called "Sofia-Rules" are in operation, meaning that players can only reach a draw by mutual agreement if they have the permission of the arbiter. The 3-1-0 soccer-style scoring system will also be used.  The time control is 40 moves in 90 minutes followed by 60 minutes to a finish, with a 10 second increment after move 40.

If there is a tie for first place, there will be a pair of blitz games, followed by a sudden death game if needed, to produce a winner. Ties for lower places will be decided by mathematical tie-breaks, starting with scores under the traditional 1-½-0 system.

The schedule:

At both venues (the Ibirapuera Park in São Paulo and the Bilbao Alhóndiga) the giant soundproofed glass cube "The Aquarium" will be used.

The official website with more information is here.  Look out for coverage at Chess.com!