The three highest ranked players on the FIDE rating list chose not to enter the Grand Prix.

1 Magnus Carlsen, 2008–2010 Grand Prix winner Levon Aronian and ex-world champion Vladimir Kramnik.

[2] With the objective of determining qualifiers to play in the Candidates 2014, and in the case that two or more players have equal cumulative points at the top, the following criteria were utilized to decide the overall Series winner and other overall placings:[2] The six tournaments were: The third stage of the Grand Prix was initially to be held in Lisbon, Portugal.

A number in brackets is a player's worst result of four and doesn't add to the total.

[12][13] Karjakin and Svidler qualified for the Candidates by other paths, so are shown in light green.