Nihal Sarin breaks into the world's top 20
Nihal Sarin scored 5/6 at the 41st European Chess Club Cup in Budva, Montenegro, and won the individual gold medal on board two. He gained 11 rating points, and his classical rating is now 2720. That takes him from World No. 30 to World No. 19, his first time in the world's Top 20 and a career best.
Open: Thirteen Indians in the Top 100
In the November 2026 FIDE rating list, Praggnanandhaa is the only Indian player in the top 10. The 13 Indians in the top 100 are: R Praggnanandhaa (World No. 7), Arjun Erigaisi (World No. 12), Viswanathan Anand (World No. 14), Nihal Sarin (World No. 19), D Gukesh (World No. 26), Vidit Gujrathi (World No. 35), Pranav V (World No. 42), Pranesh M (World No. 44), Aravindh Chithambaram (World No. 45), Pentala Harikrishna (World No. 57), Karthikeyan Murali (World No. 58), Aryan Chopra (World No. 74) and Raunak Sadhwani (World No. 75).
Praggnanandhaa remains World No. 7 with 2763. He did not play a classical game in October, but he gained 3 points in rapid and is now World No. 7 in rapid with 2733. | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Arjun Erigaisi is unchanged at World No. 12 with 2746. | Photo: Michal Walusza
Gukesh heads into the World Championship as World No. 26, rated 2710. His challenger, World No. 4 Javokhir Sindarov, is rated 2782, putting him 72 points ahead. | Photo: Rafal Oleksiewicz
Pentala Harikrishna won individual silver on board three at the European Club Cup. He gained 11 points and is back in the world's top 60 at No. 57. | Photo: Saji Mathew
Karthikeyan Murali also gained 11 points, playing in the Serbian Super League and then the European Club Cup. He climbed from World No. 71 to No. 58. | Photo: Niklesh Jain
Leon Luke Mendonca lost 12 rating points and is now rated 2617. He dropped out of the Top 100.
Praggnanandhaa, Arjun, Anand, Nihal and Gukesh are the Indians in the World Top 30 in the classical format. | Source: FIDE
These are the thirteen Indians in the world's top 100 in the classical format. | Source: FIDE
Women: Eleven Indians in the Top 100
There are eleven Indian women in the world's top 100, the same names as last month. They are: Koneru Humpy (World No. 9), Divya Deshmukh (World No. 12), R Vaishali (World No. 24), Harika Dronavalli (World No. 26), Savitha Shri B (World No. 45), Vantika Agrawal (World No. 50), Pratitee Bordoloi (World No. 56), Kalyani Sirin (World No. 61), Rakshitta Ravi (World No. 75), Deekshitha Modipalli (World No. 87) and Padmini Rout (World No. 95).
Koneru Humpy gained 2 points at the European Women's Club Cup, which she won with her club Cercle d'Echecs de Monte-Carlo, and remains World No. 9 with 2520. | Photo: Rafal Oleksiewicz
Divya Deshmukh did not play classical in October and remains World No. 12 with 2488. | Photo: Rafal Oleksiewicz
Harika Dronavalli lost 9 rating points at the Fagernes International Autumn GM-group in Norway. She is now World No. 26 with 2444. | Photo: Niklesh Jain
Vantika Agrawal lost 3 points at the Atyrau Open in Kazakhstan. She is now World No. 50 with 2399. | Photo: Rafal Oleksiewicz
Kalyani Sirin lost 15 points at the Atyrau Open in Kazakhstan. She is now World No. 61 with 2386. | Photo: Shahid Ahmed
Deekshitha Modipalli had a tough month. She lost 87 points over three events in Serbia and Bosnia and dropped from World No. 29 to No. 87. This is the heaviest drop among Indians in the November list.
Humpy, Divya, Vaishali and Harika are the Indians in the Women's World Top 30 in the classical format. | Source: FIDE
These are the eleven Indians in the Women's World Top 100 in the classical format. | Source: FIDE
Countries
India remains the World No. 2 federation in all three categories, by the average rating of the top ten players. In the Open list, the USA leads with 2719. India is second with 2706, 13 points behind, and China is third with 2663.
India is ranked No. 2 in the Top Federation list in Open. | Source: FIDE
In the Women's list, China leads with 2488. India is second with 2420, 68 points behind, and Ukraine is third with 2385.
China leads the Women's category, with India close behind in second. | Source: FIDE
In the Mixed list, China leads with 2576. India is second with 2563, 13 points behind, and the USA is third with 2546.
India remains No. 2 in the Top Federations Mixed, behind China. | Source: FIDE
