Updated September 18, 2011
Chess has a rich history, but there's still exciting chess being played every day. The best chess players in the world come from many different backgrounds: they're from a variety of countries, a wide range of ages, and each plays with an unique style.
It can be hard keeping up with the ever-changing landscape of elite, world class chess. On this page, you'll find information on most of the world's best chess players. Check back frequently for updates; I'll keep the list updated as new players make their mark on the world of chess.
- Viswanathan Anand (India)
- Vladimir Akopian (Armenia)
- Evgeny Alekseev (Russia)
- Levon Aronian (Armenia)
- Etienne Bacrot (France)
- Magnus Carlsen (Norway)
- Fabiano Caruana (Italy)
- Leinier Dominguez Perez (Cuba)
- Pavel Eljanov (Ukraine)
- Vugar Gashimov (Azerbaijan)
- Boris Gelfand (Israel)
- Alexander Grischuk (Russia)
- Wang Hao (China)
- Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine)
- Dmitry Jakovenko (Russia)
- Gata Kamsky (USA)
- Sergey Karjakin (Ukraine)
- Humpy Koneru (India)
- Vladimir Kramnik (Russia)
- Peter Leko (Hungary)
- Vladimir Malakhov (Russia)
- Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan)
- Alexander Morozevich (Russia)
- Alexander Motylev (Russia)
- Sergei Movsesian (Slovakia)
- Hikaru Nakamura (USA)
- Judit Polgar (Hungary)
- Ruslan Ponomariov (Ukraine)
- Teimour Radjabov (Azerbaijan)
- Alexei Shirov (Spain)
- Peter Svidler (Russia)
- Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria)
- Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France)
- Hou Yifan (China)
- Wang Yue (China)
