"Those who say they understand chess, understand nothing" -- Robert HUBNER

The World Top 100

: Created:04 Sep 2010 , by

Magnus Carlsen is top of the rankings but almost certainly he'd give up this honour in exchange for Viswathanan Anand's World title. Hopefully he will get the opportunity to challenge but maybe it will be either one of the Russians who dominate the top 100 or fast improving Anish Giri who takes the crown?

There are twenty-four Russian players in the top one hundred but their strength in depth does not match the post-war domination of their forebears at the very top (Fischer excepted). Indeed former Soviet states now independent, Armenia and Ukraine in the personages of Lev Aronian and Pavel Elijanov are the most likely challengers from Eastern Europe for the world championship.

Anish Giri is a very promising young player who has improved by 94 grading points and his analyses of the Anand- Topalov match were outstanding but is he too well-balanced for the rise to the very top? Where is the paranoia and the total self-absorbtion?

Welcome back Michael Adams to the top 20.