FIDE April rankings: Vishy Anand is numero uno

The official FIDE rating list was published on April 2nd 2007, after a first list, published on March 31 had left out the very important Morelia/Linares Super-GM event (and consequently left Veselin Topalov in the number one notch). Protests from chess fans all over the world – including 1.1 billion in India – led to the FIDE ratings commission rethinking its policy and including Morelia/Linares. Strictly speaking the submission date for this event, which ended on March 10, had expired on February 28. But since FIDE had in the past always included Linares, and because scores of other events rated in the April 2007 list had also been submitted late, the final decision to include Morelia/Linars made perfect sense. [GM Ian Rogers has pointed out that Gibtel was still not rated, which saved Michael Adams a number of rating points. GM Zhu Chen confirmed that she played in Gibtel but her rating had not been corrected.]

Vishy Anand in Morelis, on the way to displacing his main rival on the FIDE rankings

One might add that even if the arguments for including the events were not so compelling it would still have been expedient to do so. The accuracy of the ratings and their up-to-dateness should certainly take precedence over burocratic guidelines. In fact with modern-day computers easily able to cope we wish FIDE would publish its list more often, perhaps with a second topical list appearing every time a tournament is properly submitted. There is good news: FIDE has just set up a new Rating Server which looks like it is ready to do exactly what we are advocating.

Vishy Anand, highest ranked chess player in the world, talking to the press

... and getting mobbed by fans

The man at the top of the April 2007 list is India's Viswanathan Anand, who becomes the sixth player to be ranked as the strongest player on the planet since FIDE started its ratings in 1970, with Bobby Fisher in first place. The players who subsequently topped the list were Anatoly Karpov, Garry Kasparov, Vladimir Kramnik (in one list he shared first with Kasparov) and Veselin Topalov. Anand is the first Asian player to achieve this extraordinary distinction and, political correctness be damned, the first non-white player to do so. Incidentally Anand becomes the world's number one with a rating below his peak of 2803 in the April 2006 list, where he was a single point below Topalov and number two in the world.

Veselin Topalov, now equal second with Vladimir Kramnik

Veselin Topalov, who has been in top place since the retired Kasparov was taken off the list, drops to second, together with Vladimir Kramnik. Both are 14 points below Anand. Alexander Morozevich is in place four, the highest he has ever been in his electrifying career. Aronian has dropped (!) to place five, and is followed by the Azeri startups Mamedyarov and Radjabov. Peter Leko is in a for him disappointing eighth place, with the other Peter, Svidler from Saint Petersburg, back in the top ten at place nine. The unobtrusive Michael Adams of the UK has dropped one place to ten.

Anand gained seven points from the previous list, Kramnik six, while Topalov lost eleven to frame the top three places. Alexander Morozevich was the big winner with +21 points, with Lev Aronian gaining 15 and Radjabov 18. Peter Leko shed 11 points, and Vassily Ivanchuk 21 to drop out of the top ten and occupy place 12. Other notable players are Dimitry Jakovenko (rank 18 after gaining 17 points) and Magnus Carlsen, who has reached place 22 with just seven points below the 2700 mark – all done at the age of sixteen years and four months.

Historians will note that Anatoly Karpov has been taken off the list, presumably for inactivity, and that Viktor The Amazing Korchnoi is still in the top hundred at the age of 76. His current rating, according to Mig Greengard, is MMDCXXIII.

Addendum: Mike Jaqua of Firestone, Colorado points out that the current rating list is the first without any player rated above 2800 in a long time, probably over 15 years.

Top 100 Players April 2007

In the women's section we have Judit Polgar virtually in a category of her own, in place 13 of the "men's" list after having given birth to two children. In second place is India's Koneru Humpy who has crept up to Judit's sister Susan Polgar's record of 2577 and is set to take her place as the second highest ranked women in chess history. What's with these Indians?!

Top 50 Women April 2007

Soon Teimour Radjabov, who turned 20 last month, will be off the Juniors list, which will then be dominated by the duo Carlsen and Karjakin, 16 and 17 respectively. They are almost a year apart (Sergey is older) and seven points apart (Magnus is higher). Both are being chased by Nakamura and Wang Yue, who do not have much time left to top the Juniors list.

Addendum: Michael von Keitz from Kirkland Lake, Canada, notes that there is some level of injustice in leaving out Koneru Humpy's name on the "Top 20 Juniors" list? She fully satisfies the requirements for designation as a junior (shw was born 19 days after Teimour Radjabov), except perhaps that she is female, if this is a "Top 20 Boys" list.

Magnus Carlsen, the hottest young star on the chess scene

Sergey Karjakin, who became a full grandmaster at the age of t-w-e-l-v-e!

Top 20 Juniors April 2007

In the girls' section the star is Hou Yifan, who turned thirteen a month ago. Hou is set to become the youngest female grandmaster in history and a celebrity chess player people will welcome at any tournament. And she has promised us to devote part of her time to learning English, so that we can communicate properly with this vivacious young lady.

Hou Yifan, over 2500 at the tender age of 13

Top 20 Girls April 2007

Lists and data by courtesy of FIDE