The May 2026 FIDE rating list was primarily shaped by the FIDE Candidates and Women’s Candidates, along with several strong open tournaments across Europe, including the European Individual Chess Championship.
The top 10 Open saw two significant changes. The triumph at the FIDE Candidates 2026 earned Javokhir Sindarov 31 rating points and propelled him into the top 5 Open. The runner-up, Anish Giri, gained 14 points and climbing three places to No.6.
The second-place finish at the Women’s Candidates brought Bibisara Assaubayeva 11 rating points, lifting her to a career-high seventh position on the women’s list, while Aleksandra Goryachkina re-entered the top 5.
Biggest gains in the top 100 Open and Women
Liya Kurmangaliyeva (pictured above) recorded the biggest rating gain last month thanks to her excellent performances at the Reykjavik Open 2026 (+35 points) and the Grenke Chess Open 2026 A-Open (+22 points). Jennifer Yu returned to the top 100 Women after nearly seven years of absence, earning 38 points across those two tournaments.
Xiao Yiyi shone in the 2026 Chinese Women’s Chess Team Championship, gaining an impressive 28 rating points, while Savitha Shri B overperformed at the Fagernes Chess International 2026 and Bratislava Norm Week – IM, adding 23 points to her tally.
The Women’s Candidates winner, Vaishali R., earned not only the right to contest the title match but also 26 valuable rating points, bringing her within striking distance of the 2500 mark.
Turkish prodigy Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus (pictured above)dominated Veselin Topalov in their six-game match, convincingly winning by a score of 5–1. The result, worth 21 rating points, made him the youngest player to clear the 2700 Elo rating barrier (14 years, 10 months, and 13 days), surpassing the previous record held by Wei Yi by nearly a year.
Teodora Injac (pictured below) emerged as the top female player at the recently concluded European Individual Chess Championship. Combined with a solid showing at the Reykjavik Open 2026, the Serbian IM returned to the Women’s top 30.
Sophie Milliet delivered at the CISF 2026 – Finale nazionale (+14 points), while Anna Shukhman proved her mettle at the V Open Chess Menorca 2026, gaining 16 rating points.
Visit: https://ratings.fide.com/