Topalov Leads October Ratings List

Fresh off a victory in Bilbao, Topalov has taken the top spot on FIDE's October Ratings list. Alexander Morozevich is second, a point ahead of Vassily Ivanchuk and Magnus Carlsen.

It may surprise many chess fans to find Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik -- the two contestants in the upcoming World Championship match -- ranked 5th and 6th respectively. Two things to keep in mind:

• Anand and Kramnik may not be on top, but they are both within 20 points of the leader. Right now, there's a lot of parity at the top of chess.
• As has been mentioned by many commentators, it's likely that both players have been holding back on opening preparation, saving that instead for their match.

With such a tightly packed group, it shouldn't be a surprise if any of the top six are first on the next ratings list. That said, it seems only a matter of time before young Magnus Carlsen becomes the clear #1 player in the world, barring a sudden halt in his improvement.