November FIDE ratings: Sindarov leads Gukesh by 72 points before Geneva title match as Nihal enters top 20
World Championship challenger Javokhir Sindarov is world No. 4 on the November FIDE list, 72 points above champion Gukesh, while Nihal Sarin hits a career-best No. 19.
The November 2026 FIDE rating list, published at the end of October, has underlined just how unusual this year's World Chess Championship match will be. Challenger Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan is ranked fourth in the world on 2782, while defending champion Gukesh Dommaraju of India sits 26th on 2710, a gap of 72 points and 22 places, three weeks before their match begins in Geneva. Magnus Carlsen remains a clear world No. 1, and India's Nihal Sarin has climbed into the top 20 for the first time.
The champion as the underdog
According to Chess.com's analysis of the list, the 22-place gap between Sindarov and Gukesh is the largest between the two players in a world championship match since the title was reunified in 2006. Sindarov's form has been hard to ignore: last week he won the Clutch Chess Champions Showdown in St Louis, his final event before the match.
The 14-game match is due to open in Geneva on 22 November, with game one on 24 November and the final classical game on 11 December. Tiebreaks, if needed, are set for 12 December. Geneva is seven hours behind Malaysia in winter, so afternoon games in Switzerland will finish in the late evening or night here.
Carlsen still clear at the top
Carlsen's rating was unchanged at 2823, 31 points ahead of Hikaru Nakamura on 2792. The rest of the top 10 is tightly packed:
- Magnus Carlsen – 2823
- Hikaru Nakamura – 2792
- Fabiano Caruana – 2783
- Javokhir Sindarov – 2782
- Nodirbek Abdusattorov – 2772
- Wesley So – 2771
- Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu – 2763
- Wei Yi – 2761
- Vincent Keymer – 2761
- Alireza Firouzja – 2757
Abdusattorov was the biggest faller in the top 10, dropping eight points, while Wei Yi gained three. So, who won his fourth U.S. Championship in October, gained a point.
Nihal's breakthrough and the movers
Nihal gained 11 points to reach 2720, a career-best world No. 19, after scoring 5/6 and winning gold on board two at the European Club Cup in Montenegro. At the other end, Hans Niemann fell 20 points to 2697 and dropped out of the 2700 club after a difficult U.S. Championship, and Sam Sevian lost 24 points.
In the women's list, Hou Yifan still leads on 2596 ahead of Zhu Jiner (2559) and Ju Wenjun (2553), with the top 10 unchanged in order. American Rachael Li jumped 50 points to 2430 after winning the U.S. Women's Championship, and 11-year-old Bodhana Sivanandan gained 31 points to 2414 after becoming the youngest female International Master in history.
Among juniors, Turkey's Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus remains No. 1 on 2719 despite losing 12 points, with Gukesh second on 2710.
What else is coming
Before Geneva, several of the world's best head to Budapest for the first Total Chess World Championship from 10 to 21 November, a new event combining fast classical, rapid and blitz.
Key takeaways
- Sindarov (2782, No. 4) leads world champion Gukesh (2710, No. 26) by 72 points before their title match.
- The match opens in Geneva on 22 November, with game one on 24 November.
- Carlsen stays No. 1 on 2823; Nakamura is second on 2792.
- Nihal Sarin reached a career-best world No. 19 on 2720.
- Hou Yifan still tops the women's list on 2596.
FAQ
Who is the world No. 1 on the November 2026 FIDE list? Magnus Carlsen, rated 2823, unchanged from the previous list.
When does Gukesh v Sindarov start? The opening ceremony is on 22 November in Geneva and game one is on 24 November. The 14th game is scheduled for 11 December.
Why is Gukesh lower rated than his challenger? Gukesh is rated 2710 after a run of weaker results, while Sindarov has climbed to 2782 and world No. 4, including winning the Clutch Chess Champions Showdown last week.
Sources: Chess.com, FIDE, World Chess, Wikipedia