Top 10 Chess Players in the World

Chess is a game of strategy, skills and thoughtfulness. The best players in the world compete at the highest level and constantly improve their tactics. As of April 2025, Magnus Carlsen remains the highest ranked player, followed by Hikaru Nakamura and Rising Indian Star Gukesh D.

The world of chess is changing, and young talents like Erigaisi Arjun and Praggnanandhaa are climbing the rankings. This article explores the top 10 players, their achievements and their style of playing. We also checked out some interesting chess records, including the shortest and longest game ever. Let’s enter the world of chess!

See more | List of World Chess Championships from 1886 to 2024

Top 10 Chess Players in the World

rank

Player name

FIDE level

1

Magnus Carlson

2833

2

Hikaru Nakamura

2802

3

Gukash

2787

4

Fabiano Caruana

2783

5

Erigaisi Arjun

2777

6

Nodirbek Abdusattorov

2773

7

Yes

2760

8

pragnanandhaa

2758

9

Alireza Firouzja

2757

10

Ian Nepomniachtchi

2753

Decomposition ranking

  1. Magnus Carlsen – The Norwegian chess champion continues to top the list with an impressive rating in 2833. Carlson’s strategic abilities and profound knowledge of the final game make him a force that cannot be ignored.
  1. Nakamura Hikaru – Known for his blitz and fast skills, the American grandfather was second with a rating of 2802.
  1. Gukesh D – The budding Indian star broke into the top three with the 2787 Indian champion (2787). His warlike style and courage are unparalleled.
  1. Fabiano Caruana – Another American Colossus Caruana is also a top challenger, always proving herself with Sterling’s performance.
  1. Erigaisi Arjun – Another talented young Indian master, Arjun’s harsh tactics and resistance have already taken a place in the top five.

What’s Next | D. Gukesh becomes the youngest world chess champion, defeating Ding Liren

The shortest chess game

The shortest official record of the chess competition was recorded in 1924 between Lazard and Gibaud. After 4 moves, the game ended, making it the shortest match at the Master level.

The longest chess game

In 1989, Ivan Nikolić and Goran Arsović played the longest official chess competition between Belgrade, Yugoslavia and Goran Arsović.

Top 10 Indian chess players

Based on the latest available data, here is a list of the top 10 chess participants in India:

  1. Gukesh D-2787
  2. Erigaisi Arjun -2777
  3. Praggnanandhaa r -2758
  4. Viswanathan Anand -2743
  5. Aravindh Chithambaram VR -2749
  6. Vidit Santosh Gujrathi -2720
  7. Pentala Harikrishna -2707
  8. Nihal Sarin -2687
  9. Raunak Sadhwani -2665
  10. Murali Karthikeyan -2651

These rankings are based on the FIDE ratings for April 2025 and reflect the current performance of Indian chess players