ChessBase: Topalov and Anand top 2800 on new ratings list

[Jack Rabbit]

From ChessBase.com
Dated Monday April 3

FIDE's April 2006 ratings without Kasparov

For decades we have been used to see him at the top of every chess rating list. Now, a year after his retirement from competitive chess, Garry Kasparov has been taken off the FIDE rating list. His successor is the current FIDE world champion Veselin Topalov, just one point ahead of Vishy Anand. (JR: Topalov is at 2804; Anand is at 2803.) Here are the top rankings:



For the first time in decades FIDE publishes a rating list without Garry Kasparov, not at the top nor anywhere in the list. Kasparov has been removes due to inactivity, as required by the ratings conventions and announced in advance by FIDE. The above chart makes clear who the "crown princes" are: Veselin Topalov, the current FIDE world champion; and Viswanathan Anand, the former FIDE world champion and 1995 title challenger in New York of Garry Kasparov.

Topalov and Anand are almost 50 points ahead of the nearest rival, Armenian GM Levon Aronian, who has just won the Morelia/Linares tournament. In place four we find Peter Svidler, who had some very disappointing results and lost 22 points, but had enough on his account to maintain his ranking – taking into account that Kasparov vacated one place.

Read more.

Topalov had topped the 2800 level on the previous rankings; this is the first time Anand has broken the barrier. Kasparov is the only other player to have achieved that level. Kasparov's highest rating was 2851 and was still above 2800 when he retired from competitive chess last year.