Who is the best chess player in the world? The top 10 players ranked

Who is the best chess player in the world? The top 10 players ranked

Ciku Njuguna
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:27 PM

Contrary to popular belief, chess masters are not necessarily geniuses. However, the best chess players in the world exhibit laser focus, incredible intelligence, talent, and skills. Dig in and discover the top ten highest-rated chess players ever right here.

Who is the father of chess?
World Champion Magnus Carlsen (R) competes against Fabiano Caruana at the 2021 Tata Steel Tournament held in Dorpshuis De Moriaan in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands. Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos.
Source: Getty Images

Who is the best chess player in the world? This article ranks the most skilled masters in the game and their International Chess Federation ratings.

This popular indoor game can be enjoyed with family and friends. However, just like any mainstream sport, it is also played competitively at the national, regional, and global levels. The World Chess Federation, or the International Chess Federation, governs the sport and regulates all international competitions.

According to verified sources, the sport that originated in India in 600 AD grew steadily and held its first international tournament in the 19th century. Since then, it has become one of the most popular sports in the world, with over a dozen million participants in every continent and over 60 million games on average played daily.

What was Bobby Fischer's IQ?
Thirteen-year-old Bobby Fischer; the child prodigy participated in a chess tournament in January 1956. Photo by Bettmann.
Source: Getty Images

Who are the best chess players in the world in 2023?

We have used official ratings by FIDE to rank the most skilled masters as of March 2023. Scroll down to learn more about the world's best chess player right now.

International rank

Player

Country

Rating

1

Magnus Carlsen

Norway

2852

2

Ian Nepomniachtchi

Russia

2795

3

Liren Ding

China

2788

4

Alireza Firouzja

France

2785

5

Anish Giri

Netherlands

2768

5

Hikaru Nakamura

United States of America

2768

7

Fabiano Caruana

United States of America

2766

8

Wesley So

United States of America

2761

9

Viswanathan Anand

India

2754

10

Teimour Radjabov

Azerbaijan

2747

10. Teimour Radjabov

In 1999 and 2001, the Azerbaijani guru held the International Master and Grandmaster titles. His rapid and Blitz ratings stand at 2694 and 2707 at the time of writing.

Who is the king of chess now?
Azerbaijani Grandmaster Teimour Radjabov plays chess at the 2015 World Cup. Photo by Aziz Karimov/Pacific Press/LightRocket.
Source: Getty Images

9. Anand Viswanathan

He is India's master, second in the Asian continental rank. Viswanathan was the first Indian to win the FIDE World Championship in 1988. In 2022, the Grandmaster was elected to the FIDE Management Board, where he serves as the deputy president.

8. Wesley So

The 2004 FIDE Master is a Filipino-American regarded as the best Filipino chess player. He is an active contender with a rapid 2780 and a 2739 blitz rating.

Who has the highest Elo rating in chess history?
Wesley So (centre) competes against Nodirbek Abdusattorov at the 2023 Masters' Tata Steel Tournament in January 2023 in Wijk aan Zee near Haarlem, Netherlands. Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos.
Source: UGC

7. Fabiano Caruana

Between 2010 and 2021, Caruana held top positions in the top 100 contestant categories, an ability that earned him a steady high income. Today, Caruana is highly ranked among the richest chess players in the world.

6. Hikaru Nakamura

Who is the current U.S. chess champion as of March 2023? The most recent FIDE ratings place Nakamura at the top seat of all U.S. players. The 2003 Grandmaster holds five Speed Championship titles.

5. Anish Giri

Giri is a Russian - Nepalese player with roots in the Netherlands. The 2008 FIDE Master holds a 2714 rapid rating with a 2807 blitz rate.

4. Alireza Firouzja

Firouzja is an Iranian-French contender who defeated the world's No 1 chess player record of the youngest 2800-rate ever and the second-youngest 2700-rated contender. In a 2020 online quickfire tournament against the standing world champion, Firouzja won 8.5-7.5, prompting Carlsen to admit that the then-teenager was his biggest challenge.

Who is the god of chess player?
Alireza Firouzja competes against Jan-Krzysztof Duda at the FIDE Candidates Tournament at the Santoña Palace in July 2022 in Madrid, Spain. Photo by Miguel Pereira.
Source: Getty Images

Who are the top 3 best chess players in the world right now?

Ding Liren, Nepomniachtchi Ian, and Carlsen Magnus currently hold the top national, continental, and world FIDE ranks. The three Grandmasters join the ranks of legendary gurus such as Bobby Fischer, Garry Kasparov, and Vladimir Kramnik.

3. Liren Ding

With a 2829 rapid rating and a 2787 blitz rate, Ding is undoubtedly the highest-ranked chess player in China and the Asian continent. Liren, who holds three national titles and three gold medals, kept a long-standing 100-game unbeaten streak between August 2017 and November 2018.

2. Ian Nepomniachtchi

Who is the 2nd best chess player in the world? Ian Nepomniachtchi takes second in the current world ranks as of March 2023 with a 2795 standard, 2761 rapid, and 2781 blitz ratings. Although Nepomniachtchi is the best active Russian chess player right now, he comes in second after Garry Kimovich Kasparov in the national ranks of all time.

1. Magnus Carlsen

Magnus Carlsen is the best chess player in the world of all time. The Norwegian Grandmaster holds a 42.36% win record and a 15.09% loss record. Carlsen's unbroken long-standing top spot record began with the Top 20 Juniors title in January 2008.

Who is the best woman chess player?

Hou Yifan is an active contender who holds the Grandmaster and Woman Grandmaster titles with the world's highest standard and rapid ratings as of March 2023. Her Chinese counterpart, Zhongyi Tan, has the number one position in the FIDE Top 100 Women blitz rating with 2519 points.

International rank

Player

Country

FIDE Rating

1

Yifan Hou

China

2628

2

Humpy Koneru

India

2576

3

Aleksandra Goryachkina

Russia

2576

4

Kateryna Lagno

Russia

2560

5

Wenjun Ju

China

2550

6

Tinhje Lei

China

2545

7

Alexandra Kosteniuk

Switzerland

2536

8

Zhongyi Tan

China

2526

9

Nana Dzagnidze

Georgia

2525

10

Mariya Muzychuk

Ukraine

2515

Who is the best girl chess player in the world?

Bibisara Assaubayeva holds the highest rating for girls with a 2440 standard, 2359 rapid, and 2440 blitz rating, according to FIDE. Assaubayeva joins the glamorous Woman Grandmaster list with legendary gurus such as Judit Polgár.

Who is the junior Grandmaster in chess?

Firouzja Alireza holds the number one spot on the Top 100 Junior contestants with a 2785 standard rating, a rapid rating of 2745, and a blitz rate of 2904. Firouzja became an International Master in 2016 at 13 years of age and a Grandmaster two years later in 2018.

Honorable Mentions

Who are the greatest chess players of all time? Here is a summary of some of the world's strongest Grandmasters in the sport's history.

Who is the father of chess?
Russian Grandmaster Garry Kasparov competes against Nigel Short in the breakaway 1993 World Championship at the Savoy Theatre in London in October 1993. Photo by Leo Mason/Popperfoto.
Source: Getty Images
  1. Garry Kasparov
  2. Magnus Carlsen
  3. Bobby Fischer
  4. Jose Raul Capablanca
  5. Anatoly Karpov
  6. Mikhail Botvinnik
  7. Vladimir Kramnik
  8. Emanuel Lasker
  9. Mikhail Tal
  10. Alexander Alekhine

Although the very best chess players in the world come from a few European and Western countries. Each continent has thousands of players who play competitively, even at the World Cup.

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Authors
Ciku Njuguna photo
Ciku Njuguna
Ciku Njuguna is a journalist with 3 year’s experience in content creation based in Kenya. She currently covers sports personnel as well as team biographies.