List of FIDE chess world number ones

A total of seven chess players have been the chess world number one on the official FIDE rating list since it was first published in July 1971.

The first world number one, in July 1971, was Bobby Fischer. In January 1976 Anatoly Karpov became the highest-rated player on the FIDE list, FIDE having dropped Fischer (whose rating was higher than Karpov's) from the list due to inactivity. In January 1984, the third world number one was Garry Kasparov. Anatoly Karpov briefly held the world number one ranking in July 1985, and the fourth world number one, Vladimir Kramnik, briefly held the ranking in January 1996. Other than these two brief periods, Kasparov dominated for some 22 years from 1984 until his retirement from professional chess on 10 March 2005. In January 1990, he surpassed Fischer's peak of 2785 and became the first player ever to achieve a 2800 rating. In July 1999, he reached his peak rating, 2851. This was the highest FIDE rating in history until January 2013, when it was surpassed by Magnus Carlsen.

On Kasparov's retirement, the world number one ranking passed to Veselin Topalov, since Kasparov was removed from the rating list in April 2006 due to inactivity. In April 2007, Viswanathan Anand became the sixth player to top the rankings. Kramnik briefly returned to the number one ranking in January 2008, but was again joint number one by rating, being placed first in the list due to having played more games in the rating period in question. For most of the period April 2007 to November 2009, the top ranking was held by either Anand or Topalov. The seventh and current world number one is Magnus Carlsen, who first achieved this ranking in the January 2010 list, and has been world number one since July 2011 after having lost and reclaimed the position from Anand during 2010 and 2011.

List of world number ones

The following is a list of the players ranked number one on the FIDE rating system from the first unofficial list in June 1967 to the present day, along with their ratings during the periods in question.

Year	January	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September	October	November	December
1967							Spassky (2670) [unofficial rating list]
1968					Fischer (2710) [unofficial rating list]
1969	Fischer (2720) [unofficial rating list]
1970	Fischer (2720) [unofficial rating list]
1971	Fischer (2740) [unofficial rating list]						Fischer (2760)
1972							Fischer (2785)
1973							Fischer (2780)
1974					Fischer (2780)
1975	Fischer (2780)
1976	Karpov (2695)
1977	Karpov (2690)
1978	Karpov (2725)						supplementary list
1979	Karpov (2705)						supplementary list
1980	Karpov (2725)						supplementary list
1981	Karpov (2690)						Karpov (2690)
1982	Karpov (2700)						Karpov (2700)
1983	Karpov (2710)						Karpov (2710)
1984	Kasparov (2710)						Kasparov (2715)
1985	Kasparov (2715)						Karpov (2720)
1986	Kasparov (2720)						Kasparov (2740)
1987	Kasparov (2735)						Kasparov (2740)
1988	Kasparov (2750)						Kasparov (2760)
1989	Kasparov (2775)						Kasparov (2775)
1990	Kasparov (2800)						Kasparov (2800)
1991	Kasparov (2800)						Kasparov (2770)
1992	Kasparov (2780)						Kasparov (2790)
1993	Kasparov (2805)						Kasparov (2815)
1994	Kasparov (2815)						Kasparov (2815)
1995	Kasparov (2805)						Kasparov (2795)
1996	Kramnik (2775)						Kasparov (2785)
1997	Kasparov (2795)						Kasparov (2820)
1998	Kasparov (2825)						Kasparov (2815)
1999	Kasparov (2812)						Kasparov (2851)
2000	Kasparov (2851)						Kasparov (2849)			Kasparov (2849)
2001	Kasparov (2849)			Kasparov (2827)			Kasparov (2838)			Kasparov (2838)
2002	Kasparov (2838)			Kasparov (2838)			Kasparov (2838)			Kasparov (2836)
2003	Kasparov (2847)			Kasparov (2830)			Kasparov (2830)			Kasparov (2830)
2004	Kasparov (2831)			Kasparov (2817)			Kasparov (2817)			Kasparov (2813)
2005	Kasparov (2804)			Kasparov (2812)			Kasparov (2812)			Kasparov (2812)
2006	Kasparov (2812)			Topalov (2804)			Topalov (2813)			Topalov (2813)
2007	Topalov (2783)			Anand (2786)			Anand (2792)			Anand (2801)
2008	Kramnik (2799)			Anand (2803)			Anand (2798)			Topalov (2791)
2009	Topalov (2796)			Topalov (2812)			Topalov (2813)		Topalov (2813)		Topalov (2810)
2010	Carlsen (2810)		Carlsen (2813)		Carlsen (2813)		Carlsen (2826)		Carlsen (2826)		Anand (2817)
2011	Carlsen (2814)		Anand (2817)		Anand (2817)		Carlsen (2821)		Carlsen (2823)		Carlsen (2826)
2012	Carlsen (2835)		Carlsen (2835)		Carlsen (2835)		Carlsen (2837)	Carlsen (2837)	Carlsen (2843)	Carlsen (2843)	Carlsen (2848)	Carlsen (2848)
2013	Carlsen (2861)	Carlsen (2872)	Carlsen (2872)	Carlsen (2872)	Carlsen (2868)	Carlsen (2864)	Carlsen (2862)	Carlsen (2862)	Carlsen (2862)	Carlsen (2870)	Carlsen (2870)	Carlsen (2872)
2014	Carlsen (2872)	Carlsen (2872)	Carlsen (2881)	Carlsen (2881)	Carlsen (2882)	Carlsen (2881)	Carlsen (2877)	Carlsen (2877)	Carlsen (2870)	Carlsen (2863)	Carlsen (2863)	Carlsen (2862)
2015	Carlsen (2862)	Carlsen (2865)	Carlsen (2863)	Carlsen (2863)	Carlsen (2876)	Carlsen (2876)	Carlsen (2853)	Carlsen (2853)	Carlsen (2853)	Carlsen (2850)	Carlsen (2850)	Carlsen (2834)
2016	Carlsen (2844)

List of world female number ones

The following is a list of the players ranked number one female on the FIDE rating system from the third unofficial list in January 1969 to the present day, along with their ratings during the periods in question.

Year	January	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September	October	November	December
1969	Gaprindashvili (2420) [unofficial rating list]
1970	Gaprindashvili (2410) [unofficial rating list]
1971	Gaprindashvili (2390) [unofficial rating list]						Gaprindashvili (2390)
1972							Gaprindashvili (2450)
1973							Gaprindashvili (2420)
1974					Gaprindashvili (2405)
1975	Gaprindashvili (2410)
1976	Gaprindashvili (2440)
1977	Gaprindashvili (2445)
1978	Gaprindashvili (2425)						supplementary list
1979	Gaprindashvili (2405)						supplementary list
1980	Chiburdanidze (2400)						supplementary list
1981	Chiburdanidze (2425)						Chiburdanidze (2405)
1982	Chiburdanidze (2390)						Chiburdanidze (2385)
1983	Cramling (2355)						Chiburdanidze (2380)
1984	Cramling (2405)						Susan Polgar (2405)
1985	Susan Polgar (2430)						Chiburdanidze (2450)
1986	Chiburdanidze (2455)						Susan Polgar (2455)
1987	Chiburdanidze (2530)						Chiburdanidze (2550)
1988	Chiburdanidze (2560)						Chiburdanidze (2555)
1989	J. Polgar (2555)						J. Polgar (2555)
1990	J. Polgar (2550)						J. Polgar (2540)
1991	J. Polgar (2540)						J. Polgar (2550)
1992	J. Polgar (2550)						J. Polgar (2575)
1993	J. Polgar (2595)						J. Polgar (2635)
1994	J. Polgar (2630)						J. Polgar (2630)
1995	J. Polgar (2630)						J. Polgar (2635)
1996	J. Polgar (2675)						J. Polgar (2665)
1997	J. Polgar (2645)						J. Polgar (2670)
1998	J. Polgar (2675)						J. Polgar (2665)
1999	J. Polgar (2677)						J. Polgar (2671)
2000	J. Polgar (2658)						J. Polgar (2656)			J. Polgar (2656)
2001	J. Polgar (2676)			J. Polgar (2678)			J. Polgar (2686)			J. Polgar (2686)
2002	J. Polgar (2677)			J. Polgar (2677)			J. Polgar (2681)			J. Polgar (2685)
2003	J. Polgar (2700)			J. Polgar (2715)			J. Polgar (2718)			J. Polgar (2722)
2004	J. Polgar (2728)			J. Polgar (2728)			J. Polgar (2728)			J. Polgar (2728)
2005	Susan Polgar (2577)			J. Polgar (2732)			J. Polgar (2735)			J. Polgar (2735)
2006	J. Polgar (2711)			J. Polgar (2711)			J. Polgar (2710)			J. Polgar (2710)
2007	J. Polgar (2727)			J. Polgar (2727)			J. Polgar (2707)			J. Polgar (2708)
2008	J. Polgar (2707)			J. Polgar (2709)			J. Polgar (2711)			J. Polgar (2711)
2009	J. Polgar (2693)			J. Polgar (2693)			J. Polgar (2687)		J. Polgar (2687)		J. Polgar (2680)
2010	J. Polgar (2682)		J. Polgar (2682)		J. Polgar (2682)		J. Polgar (2682)		J. Polgar (2682)		J. Polgar (2686)
2011	J. Polgar (2686)		J. Polgar (2686)		J. Polgar (2699)		J. Polgar (2699)		J. Polgar (2701)		J. Polgar (2710)
2012	J. Polgar (2710)		J. Polgar (2709)		J. Polgar (2709)		J. Polgar (2709)	J. Polgar (2698)	J. Polgar (2698)	J. Polgar (2705)	J. Polgar (2705)	J. Polgar (2705)
2013	J. Polgar (2696)	J. Polgar (2696)	J. Polgar (2696)	J. Polgar (2696)	J. Polgar (2696)	J. Polgar (2696)	J. Polgar (2696)	J. Polgar (2696)	J. Polgar (2696)	J. Polgar (2689)	J. Polgar (2689)	J. Polgar (2693)
2014	J. Polgar (2693)	J. Polgar (2693)	J. Polgar (2693)	J. Polgar (2685)	J. Polgar (2685)	J. Polgar (2685)	J. Polgar (2676)	J. Polgar (2676)	J. Polgar (2675)	J. Polgar (2675)	J. Polgar (2675)	J. Polgar (2675)
2015	J. Polgar (2675)	J. Polgar (2675)	Hou Yifan (2686)	Hou Yifan (2686)	Hou Yifan (2686)	Hou Yifan (2676)	Hou Yifan (2676)	J. Polgar (2675)	Hou Yifan (2671)	Hou Yifan (2671)	Hou Yifan (2683)	Hou Yifan (2683)
2016	Hou Yifan (2673)

Publication details

There were unofficial lists in 1964, 1969, 1970 and January 1971, as the Elo rating system was first introduced.

From 1971 to 1980, there was one main rating list published each year (for a total of 10), initially published in July from 1971 to 1973, then once in May (1974), before switching to annual publication in January from 1975 to 1980 (in this period, some supplements and amendments were also published).

From 1981 to July 2000, two lists per year were published, in January and July (for a total of 39 lists). In July 2000, the publication schedule was increased to four times a year (January, April, July, October) operating from July 2000 to July 2009 (for a total of 36 lists). In July 2009, the publication schedule was increased again, to six times a year (January, March, May, July, September, November) operating from July 2009 to July 2012 (for a total of 18 lists). In July 2012 the publication schedule was increased again to the current monthly schedule.

Publication of the rating lists in the 1970s and 1980s was in Chess Informant and other chess publications. The number of games played by individuals during the rating period was added to the lists from July 1985 onwards. Player ID numbers were used from January 1990. From January 1999, the practice of rounding to the nearest five Elo points was discontinued, and ratings were then rounded to the nearest Elo point for publication. From July 2000 onwards, the ratings are available from the FIDE website.

In January 2010 former World Champion Boris Spassky criticized the current emphasis on ratings rather than World Champions. Although Spassky was World Champion during the inception of the FIDE rankings in 1971, he never became the number-one rated player in the world; since July 1971 he and Vladimir Kramnik are the only undisputed World Champions to never become ranked world number-one during their tenure as champions.

Player statistics

As of January 2014, seven players have held the world number one ranking over a period of 42 years and seven months, encompassing 121 rating lists. These seven players include six undisputed world chess champions, with Topalov being the only player to achieve the number one ranking without becoming undisputed world champion, though he was FIDE world champion from 2005 to 2006, and is still an active player. Kramnik and Spassky are the only world champions in the period in question to never have been world number one while being champion.

Fischer was top of the lists successively five times over a period of 4.5 years, though he is considered to have already become the number one player in the world before the official list started, as he topped the unofficial list in 1970. Karpov topped the list 12 times, successively 11 times over a period of 8 years, and once for 6 months. Kasparov has been world number one on the official list a record 54 times over a period of 22 years, and a record 31 times successively over nearly a decade from July 1996 to January 2006; he was number one 3 times successively over 1.5 years, then 20 times successively over 10 years, then finally 31 times over 9 years and 9 months. Kramnik was world number one 2 times (for 6 and 3 months), for a total of 9 months. Topalov has been world number one successively 4 and 6 times (a total of 10 times), for 12 months and 15 months respectively (for a total of 27 months). Anand has been world number one successively 2 and 3 times (a total of 5 times), for 6 months and 9 months respectively (for a total of 15 months).

Time at FIDE number one and youngest age at FIDE number one (through February 1, 2016)

Player	Months at No. 1	Peak rating	Age at first time No. 1	Date at first time No. 1	Rating at first time No. 1
Garry Kasparov	255	2851		January 1, 1984	2710
Anatoly Karpov	102	2780		January 1, 1976	2695
Magnus Carlsen	67	2882		January 1, 2010	2810
Bobby Fischer	54	2785		July 1, 1971	2760
Veselin Topalov	27	2813		April 1, 2006	2804
Viswanathan Anand	21	2817		April 1, 2007	2786
Vladimir Kramnik	9	2811		January 1, 1996	2775

Time at FIDE number one and youngest age at FIDE number one (through February 1, 2016)

Player	Months at No. 1	Peak rating	Age at first time No. 1	Date at first time No. 1	Rating at first time No. 1
Judit Polgar	312	2735		January 1, 1989	2555
Nona Gaprindashvili	102	2495		July 1, 1971	2390
Maia Chiburdanidze	78	2560		January 1, 1980	2400
Susan Polgar	18	2577		July 1, 1984	2405
Pia Cramling	12	2550		January 1, 1983	2355
Hou Yifan	10	2686		March 1, 2015	2686

See also

• Comparison of top chess players throughout history
• Chess rating systems
• List of chess players by peak ELO rating

External links

• All Time Rankings, includes "Top 10 lists from 1970 to 1997"
• FIDE historical ratings (1970–2000)
• History of Elo ratings 1971–2001 (the 1970 and January 1971 lists are unofficial)
• World Top Chess players (from FIDE, includes archive of FIDE Top Lists from July 2000 to the present)