April 2026 FIDE ratings: the top three remain unchanged

FIDE’s April 2026 classical rating list shows that stability still defines the very top of world chess. Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana continue to occupy the top three places, while just behind them there have been notable shifts. In particular, after the Prague Chess Festival, Vincent Keymer dropped rating points and slipped one place in the rankings. Taking advantage of that opening, Nodirbek Abdusattorov returned to top form, helped by victories in two elite events, and climbed to fourth. Once again, the list underlines how fiercely contested the race is just below the summit.

One of the most discussed declines concerns classical world champion Gukesh Dommaraju. The young Indian grandmaster lost a significant number of rating points and has fallen to world number 15. Gukesh has also cancelled his regular participation in the Grand Chess Tour, prompting considerable debate in chess circles. As the impact of a packed tournament schedule on performance remains a major topic, some observers believe the decision may also be linked to preparations for the upcoming World Championship match. In modern elite chess, not only opening preparation but also energy management, event selection and psychological resilience directly influence rating trajectories.

Among the biggest winners of the period, Arjun Erigaisi and Jorden van Foreest stand out. The Dutch grandmaster, who spent a long time below the 2700 Elo mark, has now climbed to 14th place after a series of strong performances. In the middle and lower sections of the top 100, the most notable rating gains were recorded by Parham Maghsoodloo, Pavel Eljanov and David Navara. From a German perspective, alongside world number five Keymer, Matthias Bluebaum, Frederik Svane, Alexander Donchenko and Dmitrij Kollars are also in the top 100, highlighting the depth and competitiveness of German chess.

In the women’s world rankings, Hou Yifan remains firmly in first place. The legendary Chinese star continues to top the list thanks to the extraordinarily high level she has reached, even with a more limited tournament schedule. The major development in the women’s list, however, was Zhu Jiner losing substantial rating points after an underwhelming performance in Prague and with it her position as world number two. The presence of five Chinese players near the top once again confirms China’s systematic strength in women’s chess. Meanwhile, India’s rising talent Divya Deshmukh has improved to 10th place, and Kazakhstan’s Alua Nurman made a major Elo leap from 62nd to 26th, showing how quickly the next generation is closing in. Overall, the April 2026 list reflects both stability at the summit and intense competition throughout the rankings.