Top 10 Chess Grand Masters of 2009

Chess Grandmasters form the elite group of international chess players that achieve an ELO chess rating above 2500. For the 31 players who have ratings above ELO 2700, the unofficial title of Super-Grandmaster is granted. Of those, only four men in history have ventured into the rarified air above ELO 2800: Garry Kasparov of Russia, Vladimir Kramnik of Russia, Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria, and Viswanathan Anand of India. Veselin Topalov is currently ranked No.1 in the world, with a rating of 2796.

Ranking System
Players are ranked by the ELO numerical system, which gets its name from creator Arpad Elo, a master-level member of the United States Chess Federation (U.S.C.F.) The U.S.C.F. has been using ELO to rank players since 1960, and in 1970 it was adopted by F.I.D.E. (French acronym for World Chess Federation). Despite the improvements that have resulted from technological advances, the chess world still refers to the system as ELO.

The 2009 World Championship Drama Unfolds
2009 promises to be another exciting and dramatic year in the world of grandmaster chess. The drama will unfold with "The Challenger Match" beginning in February between Gata Kamsky and Veselin Topalov to determine who will face current title holder Viswanathan Anand for the World Chess Championship.

The Underdog
Adding to the excitement is the fact that the 34-year-old Kamsky, a prodigy who, at the age of 20, reached the finals of the World Championship, is not even ranked in the top 10. Currently ranked 17th by F.I.D.E., the Russian-born U.S citizen withdrew altogether from international competition in 1997 to earn his law degree. Since returning in 2004, he captured the 2007 Chess World Cup to qualify for the Challenger Match. He has a current ELO rating of 2725.

The 1st Place Contender
In contrast, his 33-year-old Bulgarian opponent, Topalov, won the 2005 World Championship and is presently the highest ranked player in the world, with an ELO of 2796. In an effort to resolve the controversy surrounding his 2006 World Championship loss to Vladimir Kramnik, Topalov was granted special privileges by F.I.D.E and given direct entry into the Challenger Match against Kamsky.

The Undisputed Champion
Waiting ominously on the sidelines for the winner of the Challenger Match will be the reigning world champ, 39-year-old Viswanathan Anand. Anand is a devastating player who has dominated the chess world since winning the first of his three world championships in 2000. He captured the crown again in 2007 and successfully defended it in 2008. Added to his impressive resume is the fact that Anand has dropped from the world's top three rankings only once in 12 years and is one of four players to ever have an ELO above 2800. Currently he is ranked No. 2 with an ELO of 2791.

Top 10 Grandmasters
The World Championship is not the only excitement brewing in the chess world. Right behind Anand and Topalov, a host of other super grandmasters will be engaged in fierce international competitions as well. Below is a list of the top 10 players who will be vying for titles in 2009:

1. 1. Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria), Age 33, 2005 World Champion, Rating: 2796
2. 2. Viswanathan Anand (India), Age 39, 2000, 2007, 2008, World Champion, Rating: 2791
3. 3. Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine), Age 39, 2004 European Champion, Rating: 2779
4. 4. Magnus Carlsen (Norway), Age 18, Rating: 2779
5. 5.Alexander Morozevich (Russia), Age 31, 1998, 2007,Russian Champion, Rating: 2771
6. 6. Teimour Radjabov (Azerbaijen), Age 21, 2008 Corus Chess Tournament Joint Winner, Rating: 2761
7. 7.Dmitry Jakovenko (Russia), Age 25, 2001 Under 18 World Championship, Rating: 2760
8. 8. Vladimir Kramnik (Russia), Age 33, 2006 World Chess Championship, Rating: 2759
9. 9. Peter Leko (Hungary), Age 29, 1994 achieved Grandmaster rank at age of 14, Rating: 2751
10. 10. Sergei Movsesian (Slovakia), Age 30, Rating: 2751