Alireza Firouzja has a final attempt to boost his rating in the January list and qualify for the Candidates by playing 6 games, three two games matches, against Alexandre Dgebuadze, Andrei Shchekachev and Sergey Fedorchuk in Chartres, 18th to 22nd December 2023. This is similar to the successful method Ding Liren used to qualify for the last Candidates. Whilst due to Covid-19 I had some sympathy with Ding trying to play enough games to qualify after an enforced break, this now just doesn't seem right to me. I think it's going to be very tricky for Firouzja to boost his rating enough anyhow. I used to be in favour of the strongest non-qualified player getting a place by rating, but I think it's no longer supportable. The organisation of events that only exist to aid the qualification of a player for the Candidates by rating cannot be the way forward. Preferably all qualification should come from winning individual events or a high place in an Interzonal style tournament. I believe the weaknesses of both a Grand Prix and highest rating have clearly been shown in the last two cycles.
