Change at the Top: Uzbekistan Has a New Number One Chess Player

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has released the updated world rankings based on results through May 2026. Five grandmasters from Uzbekistan have made it into the top 100 players list.

Magnus Carlsen continues to lead the world rankings with a rating of 2841. Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura follow in the next positions.

For the first time in a long while, Uzbekistan's number one chess player has changed. Following a successful performance at the Super Chess Classic, Javokhir Sindarov raised his rating to 2777, climbing to 4th place in the world rankings.

Nodirbek Abdusattorov, meanwhile, lost 3 points compared to last month. He also stands at 2777 rating points but occupies 5th place based on tiebreak criteria.

Additionally, Nodirbek Yakubboev holds 40th place with 2689 points, Rustam Kasimdzhanov is 50th with 2665 points, and Shamsiddin Vokhidov sits in 89th place with 2637 points.

Positive changes were also observed in the women's rankings. Afruza Khamdamova climbed to 31st place with 2427 points, while Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova entered the top 100 at 93rd place with 2344 points.

For reference, the Uzbekistan men's national team is ranked 9th in the FIDE rankings with an average rating of 2623. The women's national team is placed 17th with 2247 points.