FIDE eyes ‘rating decay’ after Hikaru Rule, posing challenge for Magnus Carlsen and top grandmasters

Rating decay could see former World Champion Magnus Carlsen slide down the rankings.

After the very interesting “Hikaru Rule” drama, FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky has now confirmed that FIDE is working on implementing a rating decay system for inactive players.

This move could significantly impact how player rankings are maintained, especially for elite players who take long sabbaticals from competitive chess. 

Sutovsky confirmed this through a Twitter exchange while responding to a comment suggesting that rating decay is the “next logical step.” He confirmed this, adding that details on the system would be part of a questionnaire to be released soon.

The idea behind rating decay is to ensure that rankings more accurately reflect active competition. Currently, players who stop competing retain their ratings indefinitely, which can lead to discrepancies in the global rankings.

Under the proposed system, inactive players would gradually see their ratings decline, encouraging consistent participation.

One of the most high-profile players who could potentially get affected by this rule is former World Champion Magnus Carlsen, who has recently reduced his participation in classical tournaments.

If implemented, this change could see him – and few other Super Grandmasters slide down the rankings despite their past dominance.

FIDE has been making changes lately

The “Hikaru Rule”, came into effect on October 1 which abolishes the long-standing 400-point rating difference cap for players rated above 2650.

Also Read: Divya Deshmukh completes 12 months as World No.1 in Junior Girls’ FIDE Rankings

Previously, if a top player faced someone rated significantly lower, the system would only count a 400-point gap, limiting both the rating risk and gain.

The rule was frequently criticized for allowing elite players to “farm” rating points by competing in open tournaments with weaker opposition, a strategy recently associated with GM Hikaru Nakamura.

Under the new rule, the full rating difference will be taken into account, meaning elite players will gain little from beating much lower-rated opponents but stand to lose more if they lose. 

FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky, in his statement, boldly declared “no more farming.” While some critics have called the change “short-sighted,” but many have applauded saying it represents a bold move toward preserving rating credibility at the highest level.

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