Sports1971–2025
Chess: The Rating Race
FIDE has published Elo ratings since 1971, when Bobby Fischer towered over the field at 2785. The bars sit close together because at the summit of chess, 30 Elo points is a chasm — the gap between contender and champion. Watch Kasparov's two-decade reign give way to Carlsen's untouchable 2882.
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Source: FIDE rating lists Values taken from each year's January list; pre-2000 FIDE lists were published only once or twice a year. Updated 2026-07-09
The race in numbers
10lead changes
54years covered
16contenders
Magnus Carlsenlongest reign — 15 yrs at #1
Final standings · 2025
- 1Magnus Carlsen2,833
- 2Fabiano Caruana2,803
- 3Hikaru Nakamura2,802
- 4Gukesh Dommaraju2,777
- 5Ian Nepomniachtchi2,754