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‘Best 14-Year-Old That The World Has Ever Seen’ Erdogmus Climbs In February Rating List

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GM Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus was recently described by GM Magnus Carlsen as the strongest 14-year-old in the history of the game. He’s demonstrated his ability in recent weeks, gaining more points than anyone else among the world’s top-100 players in the February rating list. 

Erdogmus gained 11 points to reach a rating of 2669, making him the 46th highest rated player in the world. Erdogmus’ gains came from a December match against GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. His rating will continue to increase next month after his success in the recently concluded Tata Steel Masters tournament, which gave him a live rating of 2687. Tata Steel will be officially rated in the March rating list. Erdogmus has more than a year to reach 2700 and break GM Wei Yi‘s record as the youngest to ever break that mark!

Erdogmus was the only player in the world’s top-100 to gain more than 10 points in January. Other players with a strong start to the year included former Candidates participant GM Kirill Alekseenko, who gained nine points to reach 2648. The biggest rating gains among players in the top-20 went to GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda, who gained eight points to reach 2739 and the number-14 spot in the rankings. American GM Awonder Liang continued his recent run of post-college success, gaining six points and reaching a career best rating of 2719, entering the world’s top-25 for the first time.

Some of the players with recent success in the 2025 FIDE World Cup struggled to maintain their higher ratings. GM Jose Martinez dropped 11 points to 2656 and GM Alexander Donchenko dropped 10 points to 2655. The top player with the most difficult month was Vachier-Lagrave, who dropped 14 points to a rating of 2720 and outside of the world’s top-20, mostly from his match against Erdogmus.

FIDE Classical Ratings Top 100: February 1, 2026








































































































# Player Title Fed Rating (+-) Born
– 1 / 1 Magnus Carlsen GM 2840 1990
– 2 / 2 Hikaru Nakamura GM 2810 1987
– 3 / 3 Fabiano Caruana GM 2795 1992
– 4 / 4 Vincent Keymer GM 2776 2004
– 5 / 5 Arjun Erigaisi GM 2775 2003
– 6 / 6 Anish Giri GM 2760 1994
– 7 / 7 Alireza Firouzja GM 2759 2003
– 8 / 8 Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu GM 2758 2005
↑ 9 / 10 Wei Yi GM 2754 1999
↓ 10 / 9 Gukesh Dommaraju GM 2754 2006
– 11 / 11 Wesley So GM 2753 1993
– 12 / 12 Nodirbek Abdusattorov GM 2751 2004
– 13 / 13 Viswanathan Anand GM 2743 1969
↑ 14 / 17 Jan-Krzysztof Duda GM 2739 (+8) 1998
– 15 / 15 Leinier Dominguez GM 2738 1983
↓ 16 / 14 Richard Rapport GM 2738 1996
↑ 17 / 18 Liem Le GM 2731 1991
↑ 18 / 20 Levon Aronian GM 2729 1982
– 19 / 19 Shakhriyar Mamedyarov GM 2727 (-3) 1985
↑ 20 / 21 Javokhir Sindarov GM 2726 2005
↑ 21 / 22 Hans Niemann GM 2725 2003
↑ 22 / 23 Ian Nepomniachtchi GM

2723 1990
↓ 23 / 16 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave GM 2720 (-14) 1990
↑ 24 / 26 Awonder Liang GM 2719 (+6) 2003
↓ 25 / 24 Yu Yangyi GM 2717 1994
↓ 26 / 25 Nihal Sarin GM 2716 2004
– 27 / 27 Dmitry Andreikin GM 2710 1990
↑ 28 / 29 Parham Maghsoodloo GM 2708 2000
↓ 29 / 28 Vidit Gujrathi GM 2708 1994
↑ 30 / 31 Jorden van Foreest GM 2705 (+2) 1999
↓ 31 / 30 Vladimir Fedoseev GM 2704 (-1) 1995
– 32 / 32 Aravindh Chithambaram GM 2700 1999
– 33 / 33 Amin Tabatabaei GM 2700 2001
– 34 / 34 Andrey Esipenko GM

2698 2002
– 35 / 35 Teimour Radjabov GM 2692 1987
– 36 / 36 Nodirbek Yakubboev GM 2691 2002
– 37 / 37 Samuel Sevian GM 2688 2000
– 38 / 38 Wang Hao GM 2684 (-3) 1989
↑ 39 / 43 Matthias Bluebaum GM 2684 (+5) 1997
↓ 40 / 39 Alexey Sarana GM 2683 (-3) 2000
– 41 / 41 Igor Kovalenko GM 2682 1988
↓ 42 / 40 Peter Svidler GM 2682 1976
↓ 43 / 42 Pentala Harikrishna GM 2676 (-3) 1986
– 44 / 44 Peter Leko GM 2676 1979
– 45 / 45 Daniil Dubov GM

2672 1996
↑ 46 / 56 Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus GM 2669 (+11) 2011
– 47 / 47 Radoslaw Wojtaszek GM 2669 (+2) 1987
↑ 48 / 51 Rustam Kasimdzhanov GM 2668 (+4) 1979
↓ 49 / 46 David Howell GM 2668 1990
↑ 50 / 52 Nikita Vitiugov GM 2667 (+4) 1987
↓ 51 / 50 Bu Xiangzhi GM 2666 (+1) 1985
↑ 52 / 53 David Anton Guijarro GM 2666 (+4) 1995
↑ 53 / 54 Nils Grandelius GM 2664 (+4) 1993
↑ 54 / 60 Johan-Sebastian Christiansen GM 2659 (+3) 1998
– 55 / 55 Shant Sargsyan GM 2659 2002
↑ 56 / 57 Grigoriy Oparin GM 2658 1997
↓ 57 / 48 Jose Eduardo Martinez Alcantara GM 2656 (-11) 1999
– 58 / 58 Jeffery Xiong GM 2656 2000
– 59 / 59 Thai Dai Van Nguyen GM 2656 2001
↓ 60 / 49 Alexander Donchenko GM 2655 (-10) 1998
– 61 / 61 Ivan Saric GM 2655 1990
↑ 62 / 69 Pavel Eljanov GM 2655 (+6) 1983
– 63 / 63 Alexander Morozevich GM

2653 1977
– 64 / 64 Ernesto Inarkiev GM

2653 1985
↓ 65 / 62 Benjamin Gledura GM 2652 (-2) 1999
– 66 / 66 Bogdan-Daniel Deac GM 2652 2001
↓ 67 / 65 Volodar Murzin GM 2652 2006
↓ 68 / 67 Sam Shankland GM 2651 1991
↓ 69 / 68 Ray Robson GM 2650 1994
↑ 70 / 83 Kirill Alekseenko GM 2648 (+9) 1997
↑ 71 / 72 Murali Karthikeyan GM 2648 1999
↓ 72 / 70 Frederik Svane GM 2645 (-4) 2004
– 73 / 73 Alexander Grischuk GM

2645 1983
– 74 / 74 Gawain Maroroa Jones GM 2645 1987
– 75 / 75 Rauf Mamedov GM 2645 1988
– 76 / 76 Ediz Gurel GM 2645 2008
↑ 77 / 78 Francisco Vallejo Pons GM 2644 1982
↑ 78 / 79 Eltaj Safarli GM 2644 1992
↓ 79 / 77 Shamsiddin Vokhidov GM 2644 2002
↑ 80 / 86 Aryan Tari GM 2642 (+5) 1999
↓ 81 / 80 Lu Shanglei GM 2642 (-1) 1995
↓ 82 / 81 Vladislav Artemiev GM

2641 1998
↓ 83 / 82 Pranav V GM 2641 2006
↓ 84 / 71 Nikolas Theodorou GM 2639 (-9) 2000
– 85 / 85 Raunak Sadhwani GM 2638 2005
↑ 86 / 90 Saleh Salem GM 2635 1993
↑ 87 / 97 Maksim Chigaev GM 2634 (+6) 1996
↑ 88 / 91 Erwin l’Ami GM 2632 (-2) 1985
↑ 89 / Aryan Chopra GM 2631 2001
↑ 90 / 92 Ruslan Ponomariov GM 2631 (-2) 1983
↓ 91 / 87 Michael Adams GM 2629 (-6) 1971
↑ 92 / 93 Etienne Bacrot GM 2629 (-2) 1983
↑ 93 / 99 Jonas Buhl Bjerre GM 2629 (+1) 2004
↑ 94 / 100 Loek van Wely GM 2629 (+1) 1972
↓ 95 / 94 Boris Gelfand GM 2629 (-1) 1968
– 96 / 96 Abhimanyu Mishra GM 2629 2009
↓ 97 / 88 David Navara GM 2628 (-7) 1985
↑ 98 / Andrei Volokitin GM 2628 1986
↑ 99 / Aydin Suleymanli GM 2628 2005
↓ 100 / 98 Pranesh M GM 2627 (-1) 2006

The biggest gains among the top juniors went to Israeli GM Yahli Sokolovsky, who won this country’s national championship and gained 30 rating points, reaching 2567. 

Erdogmus’ 11 points place him second among all juniors, behind only the world champion, Gukesh D. Gukesh is such a fixture among the chess elite these days it can be difficult to remember that he’s just 19 years old. As GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu has aged off the junior rating lists, Gukesh has firmly solidified himself as the world’s top junior player, leading the rankings in all three categories: classical, rapid, and blitz. 


   

FIDE Classical Ratings Top 25 Juniors: February 1, 2026





























# Player Title Fed Rating (+-) Born
– 1 / 1 Gukesh Dommaraju GM 2754 2006
– 2 / 2 Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus GM 2669 (+11) 2011
– 3 / 3 Volodar Murzin GM 2652 2006
– 4 / 4 Ediz Gurel GM 2645 2008
– 5 / 5 Pranav V GM 2641 2006
– 6 / 6 Abhimanyu Mishra GM 2629 2009
– 7 / 7 Pranesh M GM 2627 (-1) 2006
– 8 / 8 Aleksey Grebnev GM 2621 2006
↑ 9 / 10 Marc’Andria Maurizzi GM 2611 2007
↓ 10 / 9 Leon Luke Mendonca GM 2610 (-5) 2006
– 11 / 11 Aditya Mittal GM 2610 2006
– 12 / 12 Andy Woodward GM 2608 2010
– 13 / 13 Christopher Yoo GM 2607 2006
– 14 / 14 Pranav Anand GM 2606 2006
– 15 / 15 Denis Lazavik GM

2605 2006
– 16 / 16 Ihor Samunenkov GM 2604 (+5) 2009
– 17 / 17 Bardiya Daneshvar GM 2597 (-1) 2006
– 18 / 18 Sina Movahed GM 2596 2010
– 19 / 19 Bharath Subramaniyam H GM 2595 2007
– 20 / 20 Ivan Zemlyanskii GM

2592 2010
– 21 / 21 Savva Vetokhin GM 2572 2009
↑ 22 / 28 Yahli Sokolovsky GM 2567 (+30) 2006
↓ 23 / 22 Mukhiddin Madaminov GM 2567 2006
↓ 24 / 23 Tong Xiao GM 2555 2008
↓ 25 / 24 Haowen Xue GM 2553 2008

January was a tough month for the top women on the rating list. The four highest-rated women all lost rating, particularly the world’s number one, GM Hou Yifan, who lost 17 points in the Chinese League and fell below 2600 for the first time since 2013. GM Tan Zhongyi was the only woman among the top 20 to gain rating, earning 11 points and reaching 2535 and the fifth spot in the rankings. The top gainer in the women’s top-100 was WIM Rachael Li, from the U.S.A., gaining 36 points to enter the women’s top-100 for the first time with a rating of 2358.

FIDE Classical Ratings Top 100 Women: February 1, 2026








































































































# Player Title Fed Rating (+-) Born
– 1 / 1 Hou Yifan GM 2596 (-17) 1994
– 2 / 2 Zhu Jiner GM 2578 (-1) 2002
– 3 / 3 Lei Tingjie GM 2566 (-3) 1997
– 4 / 4 Ju Wenjun GM 2559 (-6) 1991
↑ 5 / 7 Tan Zhongyi GM 2535 (+11) 1991
↓ 6 / 5 Humpy Koneru GM 2535 1987
↓ 7 / 6 Aleksandra Goryachkina GM 2534 1998
– 8 / 8 Anna Muzychuk GM 2522 1990
– 9 / 9 Kateryna Lagno GM

2508 1989
– 10 / 10 Polina Shuvalova IM 2502 2001
– 11 / 11 Bibisara Assaubayeva GM 2497 2004
– 12 / 12 Divya Deshmukh GM 2497 2005
– 13 / 13 Alexandra Kosteniuk GM 2483 1984
– 14 / 14 Stavroula Tsolakidou IM 2479 2000
– 15 / 15 Alina Kashlinskaya IM 2475 1993
– 16 / 16 Vaishali Rameshbabu GM 2470 2001
– 17 / 17 Nana Dzagnidze GM 2469 1987
↑ 18 / 19 Harika Dronavalli GM 2466 1991
↓ 19 / 18 Carissa Yip IM 2466 2003
– 20 / 20 Mariya Muzychuk GM 2463 1992
– 21 / 21 Nino Batsiashvili GM 2462 1987
– 22 / 22 Yuliia Osmak IM 2456 (+2) 1998
– 23 / 23 Leya Garifullina IM 2454 2004
– 24 / 24 Song Yuxin IM 2451 (-3) 2005
↑ 25 / 29 Lu Miaoyi IM 2438 (+7) 2010
↓ 26 / 25 Lela Javakhishvili IM 2437 1984
– 27 / 27 Ulviyya Fataliyeva IM 2434 1996
↓ 28 / 26 Xue Zhao GM 2433 (-3) 1985
↓ 29 / 28 Anna Shukhman WGM 2431 2009
– 30 / 30 Bella Khotenashvili GM 2428 1988
– 31 / 31 Marie Sebag GM 2425 1986
– 32 / 32 Teodora Injac IM 2417 (-4) 2000
↑ 33 / 37 Dinara Wagner IM 2414 (+4) 1999
↓ 34 / 33 Sarasadat Khademalsharieh IM 2414 1997
↓ 35 / 34 Mai Narva IM 2413 1999
– 36 / 36 Aleksandra Maltsevskaya IM 2410 2002
↑ 37 / 38 Meri Arabidze IM 2410 1994
↓ 38 / 35 Olga Badelka IM 2410 2002
↑ 39 / 40 Anna Ushenina GM 2406 1985
↑ 40 / 42 Elisabeth Paehtz GM 2403 1985
– 41 / 41 Afruza Khamdamova WGM 2403 2009
↑ 42 / 43 Elina Danielian GM 2402 1978
↑ 43 / 44 Irina Krush GM 2402 1983
↓ 44 / 39 Alice Lee IM 2399 (-9) 2009
– 45 / 45 Eline Roebers IM 2398 2006
↑ 46 / 66 Marsel Efroimski IM 2397 (+22) 1995
↓ 47 / 46 Oliwia Kiolbasa IM 2397 2000
↓ 48 / 47 Nataliya Buksa IM 2397 1996
↓ 49 / 48 Nurgyul Salimova IM 2396 2003
↓ 50 / 49 Ding Yixin WGM 2395 (-1) 1991
↓ 51 / 50 Irina Bulmaga IM 2395 1993
↓ 52 / 51 Valentina Gunina GM 2393 1989
– 53 / 53 Gunay Mammadzada IM 2390 2000
– 54 / 54 Olga Girya GM

2389 1991
↓ 55 / 52 Antoaneta Stefanova GM 2386 (-5) 1979
↑ 56 / 57 Meruert Kamalidenova IM 2386 2005
↑ 57 / 59 Karina Ambartsumova IM

2385 1989
↓ 58 / 56 Pia Cramling GM 2384 (-5) 1963
↑ 59 / 60 Yang Shen IM 2383 1989
↑ 60 / 61 Deimante Daulyte-Cornette IM 2381 (-1) 1989
↑ 61 / 93 Amina Kairbekova WGM 2379 (+31) 2006
↓ 62 / 55 Tatev Abrahamyan IM 2378 (-11) 1988
↓ 63 / 62 Wang Pin WGM 2378 1974
– 64 / 64 Zsoka Gaal IM 2377 2007
↑ 65 / 70 Xeniya Balabayeva WGM 2376 (+5) 2005
↑ 66 / 67 Guo Qi IM 2375 1995
↓ 67 / 65 Vantika Agrawal IM 2375 2002
↓ 68 / 58 Zhai Mo WGM 2373 (-12) 1996
↓ 69 / 63 Anna Sargsyan IM 2372 (-5) 2001
↓ 70 / 69 Sabrina Vega Gutierrez IM 2371 1987
↑ 71 / 72 Alisa Galliamova IM

2368 1972
↓ 72 / 71 Mariam Mkrtchyan WGM 2368 2004
↑ 73 / 82 Almira Skripchenko IM 2367 (+10) 1976
↓ 74 / 73 Alina Bivol IM 2367 1996
↑ 75 / 96 Yan Tianqi WIM 2366 (+19) 2002
↓ 76 / 75 Lilit Mkrtchian IM 2366 1982
↓ 77 / 74 Huang Qian WGM 2366 1986
↓ 78 / 77 Govhar Beydullayeva WGM 2364 2003
↓ 79 / 76 Ekaterina Goltseva FM

2364 2002
↓ 80 / 78 Alua Nurman WGM 2363 2007
↓ 81 / 79 Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova IM 2363 1999
↑ 82 / 89 Xiao Yiyi WGM 2361 (+9) 1996
↑ 83 / Rachael Li WIM 2358 2010
↓ 84 / 80 Anastasiya Rakhmangulova WGM 2358 1994
↓ 85 / 81 Anastasia Bodnaruk IM

2357 1992
↓ 86 / 85 Monika Socko GM 2356 1978
↓ 87 / 84 Zoey Tang FM 2356 2008
↓ 88 / 83 Savitha Shri B IM 2356 2007
↑ 89 / Tatjana Melamed WGM 2355 1974
↓ 90 / 87 Medina Warda Aulia IM 2355 1997
↓ 91 / 86 Sophie Milliet IM 2354 (-1) 1983
↓ 92 / 88 Padmini Rout IM 2354 1994
↓ 93 / 90 Khanim Balajayeva IM 2351 2001
↓ 94 / 91 Deysi Cori T. IM 2349 1993
↑ 95 / Marta Garcia Martin IM 2348 2000
↓ 96 / 92 Ekaterina Atalik IM 2348 (-1) 1982
↓ 97 / 94 Le Thao Nguyen Pham IM 2348 1987
↓ 98 / 95 Bat-Erdene Mungunzul WIM 2347 2005
↓ 99 / 97 Ticia Gara WGM 2347 1984
– 100 / 100 Yuliya Shvayger IM 2345 (+2) 1994

Outside of the world’s top players, Indian player Ragul Arul Dass gained an astounding 293 points to reach 1704. At a higher level, Joemel Narzabal from the Philippines, gained 276 points and ended the month at 2115. Among titled players, FM Ezra Paul Chambers, representing Burundi, gained the most points, adding 67 and climbing to 2410. 

Prodigy Watch: Will Be Added Soon

The Prodigy Watch by Chess By The Numbers founder Tai Pruce-Zimmerman tracks the progress of young chess superstars, with his “prodigy rank,” a measure of how a player’s current rating at their current age compares historically. If there are 11 players in chess history who have been rated higher at or before the player’s age, then the player would have a prodigy rank of 12. You can read more about Prodigy Watch here.

All data courtesy of FIDE. 



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