Eighteen top players were selected to compete in the Grand Prix. Each player participated in four of the tournaments. Each tournament was a 12-player, single
round-robin tournament. This was a change to the 14 player tournaments last cycle. In each round players scored 1 point for a win, ½ point for a
draw and 0 for a loss. Grand Prix points were then allocated according to each player's standing in the tournament: 170 Grand Prix points for first place, 140 for second place, 110 for third place, and then 90 down to 10 points by steps of 10. In case of a tie in points the Grand Prix points were shared evenly by the tied players. Only the three best tournament results of each player were counted. The player with the most Grand Prix points was the winner. ==Players and qualification==