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The April FIDE Rating list is now available for download at the FIDE website. GM Garry Kasparov toppled to 2817, but still holds the #1 position. The biggest news amongst the top three players is that India's Viswanathan Anand (2774, +6) has reclaimed the #2 position vaulting over Vladimir Kramnik (2764, -13) who has stumbled to the #3. However, his recent win in Linares and Melody Amber will recoup a few ELO points. Peter Leko stormed back to #4 after falling to the 10th position. Veselin Topalov (2737, +2) and Peter Svidler (2733, -14) switched positions at #5 and #6, respectively. Alexander Morozevich (2732) has rejoined the top ten after tumbling in the mid-teens. Alexij Shirov (2713, -23) is perhaps the biggest loser and his misery continues after a terrible showing at Linares. He drops nine positions to #14.
Judit Polgar maintains her #1 position, but her rating remained the same (2728) as did Xie Jun's (2564). Koneru Humpy (2513, +15) has suddenly vaulted in the #3 position accented by her sparking performance in the Commonwealth. She is also the world's highest-rated girl. Maia Chiburdanidze and Alisa Galliamova and are joint 4th on the women's list at 2502 and Svetlana Matveeva (2496, -6) is #6 and Ukraine's 13-year old Kateryna Lahno (2493) is #7 among women and #2 among girls.
Azerbaijan still has a good contingent of talent among the under-21 group with Teimour Radjabov (2670, +14) holding the #1 position and Shakhriyaz Mamedyarov (2646, +11) now at #2. Besides the Azerbaijani domination (top five average 17.2 years and 2604 ELO), the Ukraine has five players in the top 20 and are led by 14-year old Sergey Karjakin (2580). India's Pentyala Harakrishna is closing in on the 2600-barrier (2599, +17) while China's Bu Xiangzhi (2621, +21) and Hikaru Nakamura (2580, +9) keep rising.
In Africa, Morocco's Hichem Hamdouchi has had a bad stretch of tournaments and dropped a massive 44 points! He is still Africa's #1 at 2544. Egyptian duo of Essam El-Gindy (2507, +5) and Fouad El-Taher (2501) hold the next two positions. Watch out for 17-year old Ahmed Adly (2490, +8) and 15-year old African Junior Champion, Bassem Amin (2422). Amon Simutowe (2442,+9) of Zambia continues his steady ascent while most of his other sub-Saharan colleagues remain idle. Simutowe's strong result from the Mérida tournament has not yet been rated. Robert Gwaze (2376, +31) of Zimbabwe is gaining points quickly as his residence in England has given him a chance at playing strong competition. South African native Johannes Mabusela gained 19 points (2316, +19).
In the Caribbean, Cuba's Lenier Domínguez (2612, +7) maintains his lead over compatriot Lázaro Bruzon (2602, -1). Barbados' Kevin Denny (2319) remains the highest-rated player from the English-speaking Caribbean and his re-activation will bode well for Barbados national team.
In North America, the top player of African descent is Maurice Ashley (2465). Stephen Muhammad gains (2378, +3); William Morrison is steady (2364); Emory Tate loses ten (2340, -11), but has recently showed good form. Sweden's Pontus Carlsson is steady (2360).
FIDE Ratings (April 2004)
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