Gukesh drops below 2700 in live ratings for first time in four years

D Gukesh slipped below 2700 in the live classical ratings for first time in four years after being held to a draw in Round 2 of Chess Olympiad. | Photo Credit: Rafal Oleksiewicz/FIDE

World champion D Gukesh has slipped below the 2700 mark in the live classical ratings for the first time in four years after being held to a draw by Indonesia’s IM Satria Duta Cahaya in Round 2 of the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand.

Gukesh entered the Olympiad with an official September FIDE rating of 2703 and is ranked World No. 32. He began the tournament with a win over Thailand’s Faris Rashid Alriyami before drawing with the 2412-rated Cahaya as India beat Indonesia 2.5-1.5.

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The drop continues a difficult run in classical chess. At the Chennai Grand Masters in July, Gukesh finished last with two points from seven games, failing to win and losing to Alireza Firouzja, Arjun Erigaisi and Pranesh M.

The slide comes just over two months before Gukesh defends his world title against Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov in Geneva. The match runs from November 22 to December 13, with Game 1 on November 24. Sindarov is rated 2778 on the September FIDE list.

What is a live rating and FIDE rating?

A live rating changes after every rated game and gives a real-time estimate of a player’s rating.

The official FIDE rating is published on the first day of every month and remains the recognised rating until the next list is released. Gukesh’s official September rating is therefore still 2703.