Ian Nepomniachtchi is the current World No.2 and top player from Russia. He is a two-time Russian champion as well as a former World Youth and European Individual Champion. In 2021, Nepomniachtchi won the FIDE Candidates Tournament, earning him the right to challenge Magnus Carlsen for the World Championship title. In March of 2022 he then won the FIDE Candidates Tournament again. He recently faced Chinese GM Ding Liren in the 2023 World Championship match but unfortunately the Russian GM lost in the fourth and final rapid tiebreak game of the event.
Ding Liren is a three-time Chinese champion and 2019 Grand Chess Tour winner. He is the current World No. 3 and was recently crowned the World Chess Champion, beating Russian GM Ian Nepomniachtchi in a rapid-play tiebreaker. He is the first Chinese man to hold the World Chess Championship title. With a peak rating of 2816, Ding is only the only Chinese player to surpass a rating of 2800. From August 2017 to November 2018, Ding led a streak of being unbeaten in 100 straight games, a record later broken by Magnus Carlsen.
Alireza Firouzja is an Iranian-French Grandmaster who is currently the World No 4. ranked player, World No. 1 Junior and reigning Grand Chess Tour Champion. After earning the GM title at age 14, Firouzja went on to become the youngest ever player to reach 2800, breaking Magnus Carlsen’s record at the age of 18 years and 5 months. His recent tournament success include winning the 2021 FIDE Grand Swiss, the 2022 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz, the 2022 Sinquefield Cup, and the overall 2022 Grand Chess Tour.
Anish Giri is a four-time Dutch Champion and current World No 5. His recent victory in the 2023 Tata Steel Chess Tournament was one of his best achievements to date, along with winning the 2019 Shenzen Masters, the 2017 Reykjavik Open, and 2012 Reggio Emilia tournament. Additionally, Giri has represented the Netherlands in five Olympiads, winning three individual bronze medals overall.
Fabiano Caruana is a two-time U.S. Champion and current World No. 8. With a peak FIDE rating of 2844, Caruana owns the 3rd highest classical rating ever recorded. In 2018, Caruana won the FIDE Candidates Tournament, challenging Magnus Carlsen in the World Championship match later that year, but ultimately losing in the rapid tiebreak. Caruana’s best performance to date took place in the 2014 Sinquefield Cup, where he started with an astonishing 7/7 before ultimately finishing in clear first place with 8.5/10, scoring an incredible 3098 performance.
Wesley So is a three-time U.S. Champion and two-time Grand Chess Tour Champion. Originally from the Philippines, So transferred federations to the United States in 2013, representing the U.S. in multiple Olympiads since and winning both the team and individual gold in the 2016 Baku Olympiad. Currently at World No. 8, So has previously been as high as World No. 2, with a peak FIDE rating of 2822. In 2019, So defeated Magnus Carlsen in the inaugural FIDE Fischer Random World Championship, becoming the first official World Champion of Fischer Random.
Richard Rapport is a Hungarian born Grandmaster who recently switched to the Romanian Federation. A former prodigy, Rapport earned the GM title at the age of 13 years, 11 months, breaking records previously set by Hungarian legend Peter Leko. Rapport is known for his unconventional style and obscure openings, and reached his peak ranking of World No. 5 in May of 2022. His career achievements include winning the 2020 Danzhou Tournament, as well as the 2022 Belgrade FIDE Grand Prix, which qualified him for the 2022 FIDE Candidates.
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave is a three-time French Champion, former World Junior Champion and 2021 World Blitz Champion. He is also a five-time winner of the Biel Grandmaster Tournament and a two-time winner of the Sinquefield Cup. Additionally, “MVL” was one of the youngest ever Grandmasters, earning the title at age 14, and with a peak rating of 2819 is the seventh highest rated player ever. MVL has represented France in five chess olympiads, as well as numerous World and European Team events.
Jan-Krzysztof Duda is the highest rated Polish player of all-time and former prodigy. In 2021 he won the FIDE World Cup, defeating Magnus Carlsen in the semifinals in order to qualify for the 2022 FIDE Candidates. Duda is a previous World Youth Champion and European Youth Champion, and has represented Poland in multiple Olympiads and other team events. In 2022, Duda won the Superbet Rapid & Blitz, with a clear four-point margin ahead of the rest of the field.
