Which are the highest-rated chess playing nations around the world?

The USA tops the list, India are close second.

Chess has experienced an unprecedented boom in recent years, thanks to online platforms and streaming services.

From the beginning, countries like the USA and Russia have dominated the sport. Russia and previously the Soviet Union, has a long and storied history in chess, producing world champions such as Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov. The USA has also been a major force, with legendary players like Bobby Fischer as well as more recent stars like Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura leading the charge.

One country that has made remarkable strides in the chess world is India. The journey of Indian chess to the global stage began with Viswanathan Anand, who became the first Grandmaster from India in 1988. Anand, a five-time world champion, has inspired a generation of players through his achievements.

Notably, in August 2023, India was in third place with an average rating of 2698. By September, they crossed the 2700 mark, overtaking Russia for the second position. This surge is further highlighted by the recent successes of R Praggnanandhaa, who won a silver medal at the FIDE Chess World Cup and Gukesh Dommaraju, the first Indian since Anand to win the Candidates Tournament. Gukesh is set to face the reigning world champion, Ding Liren of China, at the World Chess Championship later this year.

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Top chess countries list – Average rating top 10 players:

1. USA – 2726
2. INDIA – 2714
3. CHINA – 2686
4. RUSSIA – 2684
5. AZERBAIJAN – 2645
6. FRANCE – 2639
7. GERMANY – 2635
8. ARMENIA – 2632
9. SPAIN – 2632
10. UKRAINE – 2631
11. HUNGARY – 2619
12. NETHERLANDS – 2618
13. POLAND – 2608
14. ENGLAND – 2600
15. ROMANIA – 2600

*As of May 2024

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