A 72-Point Gap Will Separate Them When Gukesh Faces Sindarov in the World Championship

Photos : Fide / Fide Chess Olympiad 2026 / Rafal Oleksiewicz/FIDE

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has released its rating list for October, and with it the picture of the upcoming World Championship match has become clear in rating terms as well. Reigning World Champion Gukesh D of India is ranked 28th in the world with 2710 rating points, while his challenger in the World Championship, Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan, has reached a career-best rating of 2782 and occupies fourth place in the world. In other words, a wide gap of 72 points separates the two players before they sit down for the title match.

Two years ago Gukesh had climbed to a rating of 2794 and was just a few steps away from the magical 2800 mark. Since then his rating has fallen by 84 points. At the recently concluded Chess Olympiad in Samarkand he played all 11 rounds on the fourth board, won the silver medal and recovered some rating points, but the distance between him and the top players remains considerable.

Sindarov, on the other hand, is going through the finest phase of his career. After winning the 2025 FIDE World Cup, he claimed the 2026 Candidates Tournament title to earn the right to challenge Gukesh in the World Championship, and he also played a key role in leading Uzbekistan to the Olympiad gold medal in front of his home crowd in Samarkand. Now, with a career-best rating of 2782, he will enter the title match full of confidence.

This 72-point difference will show up directly in rating terms in every game of the World Championship. Gukesh will gain 6 rating points for every win and will benefit by 1 point even from a draw, while a loss will cost him 4 points. Exactly the reverse applies to Sindarov, who will gain 4 points for every win, lose 1 point for a draw and drop 6 points for a defeat

On paper the challenger certainly appears to hold the upper hand, but a World Championship match is decided not by ratings but by the moves played on the board, and Gukesh has already shown that he has the ability to produce his best chess on the big occasions and under pressure. It will be interesting to see whether the World Champion can put this rating gap behind him and defend his title, or whether Sindarov turns his superb form into the world crown.

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