OUR GMS MOVE UP
by GM Andy Soltis
Posted: 12:50 am
July 5, 2009
In a rarity in nearly 40 years of international ratings, several Americans are joining the world’s elite players.
The international chess federation (FIDE) issues a new rating list every three months, and the July 1 edition shows that the five top US players are among the 100 highest rated — and three are among the 35 highest rated.
Gata Kamsky, is now 18th in the world, Hikaru Nakamura moved up to 26th place and Alexander Onischuk vaulted to 34th. Nakamura was one of the busiest grandmasters in the world in the past three months, and his successes included winning the US Championship with a Kasparov-like 2807 performance.
Also, Yuri Shulman debuted on the top 100 list at 85th place. And Yasser Seirawan, who had announced his retirement several years ago when he moved to the Netherlands, returned to the top 100 when he won four games in the Dutch team league and advanced to number 93.
Americans have appeared on FIDE’s top-rated lists since ratings were introduced in 1970 but there were usually only two or three US players among the elite — such as when Bobby Fischer, Lubos Kavalek and Robert Byrne — were in their prime more than 30 years ago.
Source: NY Post
Soltis is wrong. Polgar was #1 under U.S. flag in late 2004 and during 2005. That’s the highest obviously since Fischer. Only 2 Americans are ever official #1 under U.S. flag: Fischer and Polgar.