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Find the right combination! ChessBase 15 program + new Mega Database 2020 with 8 million games and more than 80,000 master analyses. Plus ChessBase Magazine (DVD + magazine) and CB Premium membership for 1 year!

2/1/2017 – Never has the no.1 spot been so crowded as now since Magnus Carlsen took over. For a while it seemed a matter of time before he established new records and left others fighting over silver. This month he finds himself with not one, but two approaching challengers, with Wesley So making strides at the rate of over 50 Elo in just 6 months and four big wins. We see also Wei Yi in his breakthrough tournament at Wijk aan Zee, and a new prodigy in US chess. Here are the report, stats, and stories.

FIDE February 2017 – Top 100 Players

Man of the Month, or rather Man of the Semester, Wesley So not only won Wijk aan Zee clear ahead of the rest, he has also gained an amazing 51 Elo in the last 6 months to an astronomical 2822 and world no. 3. (photo by Alina L'Ami)

Wei Yi finally made good on the promise of his precociousness, turning out a great tournament with chances of his own in the last round to take one of the top three places. This earned him 19 Elo, and we expect to see 2017 show more of what he is capable of. Avante! (photo by Alina L'Ami)

Top climbers and descenders

The list below already tells much of the tale: with a huge list of players who experienced gains or losses of at least 10 Elo.

The final article on the Tata Steel tournament was entitled, "Deserved winner" referring to Wesley So's superb victory, but "Deserved bronze" would have been just as appropriate for the Indian Baskaran Adhiban. Qualifying from the Challengers the year before, and by far the lowest rated player in the field (almost everyone was rated at least 100 Elo more!), Adhiban had a true Cinderella result with gutsy opening choices and powerful play. This garnered him 29 Elo, the greatest gain in the Top 100 this month.

FIDE Top 100 Women

There wasn't a lot happening in the Top 100 Women list, except for 19-year-old WGM Lei Tinjie who accrued 13 Elo with 31 games counted. Note that many were from events in December that had taken time to be registered. (photo by Alina L'Ami)

FIDE Top 100 Juniors

Jeffery Xiong was one of the stars of the Wijk aan Zee Challengers as he climbed back from a first round loss to clear lead by round eleven. Sadly for his many supporters it was not to be, and he failed to make the Masters, but he did earn 7 Elo and scored a no less impressive 7 wins. (photo by Alina L'Ami)

A name to watch out for is this young man, FM Nikhil Kumar from the USA. In October, rated 2076, he won the World under-12 championship with a round to spare, including a win over the overwhelming favorite IM Praggnanandha, the youngest IM in the world. In November his rating was at 2251, in January it was 2379, and in this month it rose once more to reach 2479 FIDE. (photo by Irina Krush)

FIDE Top 100 Girls

There were many notable results, but the most impressive near the top was the gain by 16-year-old Marta Garcia Martin from Spain who earned 94 Elo after two strong results in opens in her country.

Top 100 Rapid

Women's Top 50 Rapid

Top 100 Blitz

Women's Top 50 Blitz

Source: FIDE