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Vishy Anand edges Kramnik in FIDE rankings

Vishwanathan Anand of India overtook arch rival Vladimir Kramnik of Russia to claim second spot in the latest international rating lists published by both the world chess federation, FIDE, and Garry Kasparov's rival World Chess Council.

Kasparov himself heads both the ratings, despite losing points due to a poor showing at Linares, Spain, this year.

By contrast to Kasparov's own ordinary run, Anand has won all the tournaments he took part in this year.

Kramnik had maintained the second spot, behind mentor Kasparov, for over two years before Anand finally edged ahead in the latest rankings.

Anand, in fact, would have had an even better showing in the listings had it not been for his loss to Anatoly Karpov in the finals of the world chess championship at Lausanne, Switzerland in January.

At the time, many experts held that the loss was not so much because of Anand's blemishes, as because he was not given enough time to rest and prepare for the final by FIDE. As the tournament was set up, Karpov spent a month in relaxed preparation while Anand played a gruelling qualifying round, then entered the final just two days later.

Neither Kasparov nor Karpov have managed a single win this year. Anand, meanwhile, has won three, and looks to be on the verge of having his greatest international season yet.

Follows the full standings:

FIDE top ten (ELO ratings alongside): 1) Garry Kasparov, Russia, 2815; 2) Vishwanathan Anand, India, 2795; 3) Vladimir Kramnik, Russia, 2780; 4) Vassily Ivanchuk, Ukraine, 2730; 5) Anatoly Karpov, Russia, 2725; 6) Alexi Shirov, Spain, 2720; 7) Gata Kamsky, USA, 2720; 8) Michael Adams, England, 2715; 9) Peter Svidler, Russia, 2710; 10) Vasselin Kopalov, Bulgaria, 2700.

WCC top ten (ELO ratings alongside): 1. Kasparov, 2808, 2. Anand, 2778, 3. Shirov, 2735, 4. Kramnik, 2731, 5. Kamsky, 2701, 6. Ivanchuk, 2696, 7. Svidler, 2688, 8. Karpov, 2687, 9. Adams, 2677, Evgeny Bareev, Russia, 2674.