Russian Chess Decline Continues as Global Rankings Shift
It would have been unthinkable during the peak of Soviet chess dominance. For the first time since 1971, when Fide, the global chess organization, began releasing its rankings—originally annual, now monthly—no Russian players are among the world’s top 10 in classical chess. Bobby Fischer led the initial list, published ahead of his Reykjavik match against Boris Spassky. After Fischer stepped away from competitive play, Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov took over.
In the 1970s, when the USSR team triumphed over the Rest of the World, or during the eras of Mikhail Botvinnik, Karpov, and Kasparov, the idea that Russia’s chess supremacy would fade within 50 years—replaced by competition between India and the United States—would have seemed absurd.
The latest sign came last week when Ian Nepomniachtchi, a two-time world title challenger, fell from 10th to 14th following a weak showing in Tashkent, where he placed near the bottom and appeared disengaged.
There are some nuances. Sergey Karjakin, who contested the world title in 2015, would likely be in the top 10 if still active. However, since the start of the Ukraine conflict, Karjakin has largely stepped away from competitive play, focusing instead on public support for Russian military efforts.
Karjakin did return briefly for a "Chess Stars 5.0" blitz event, where five elite grandmasters faced five top female players, showing glimpses of his former skill. Meanwhile, Anish Giri, now ranked 10th globally and representing the Netherlands, was born in St. Petersburg.
Nepomniachtchi could regain his form when the race for the 2026 Candidates begins, but otherwise, Russia’s resurgence may depend on prodigies like Roman Shogdzhiev, the youngest-ever international master at age 10, fulfilling their potential—if they do.
Meanwhile, 19-year-old super-grandmaster Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu claimed his third major win of 2025, securing the $20,000 top prize at the UzChess Cup in Tashkent. As in his two previous victories at Wijk aan Zee and Bucharest, he shared first place before prevailing in a tiebreak.
Praggnanandhaa now sits at world No. 4, ahead of rivals like reigning champion Gukesh Dommaraju, fellow Indian Arjun Erigaisi, and Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov. This positions him strongly for the Candidates tournament, awarded to 2025’s most successful competitor.
Only Norway’s Magnus Carlsen, retired from the world championship, and Americans Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana—already qualified for the Candidates—rank above him.
Praggnanandhaa credits his recent progress to his coach, RB Ramesh: “I’m more confident and ambitious now, which we worked on,” he said.
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