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Javohir Sindarov and Nodirbek Abdusattorov have both re-entered the top five of the FIDE world chess rankings, with Sindarov going further still by reaching third place in the live ratings — a first in his career and in the history of Uzbek chess.
The October official FIDE list, dated 1 October, places Sindarov fourth with 2,782 points, up four from September, and Abdusattorov fifth with 2,780 points, a gain of 18. The next official update is due on 1 November.
Magnus Carlsen of Norway leads the list with 2,823 points. American Hikaru Nakamura is second on 2,792, and fellow American Fabiano Caruana holds third in the official standings on 2,784, though that figure has since slipped in the live ratings. Sindarov trails Caruana by just two points in the official list and has already overtaken him in the live rankings, a shift that followed Caruana’s defeat to Andy Woodward at the United States Championship. The gap between Sindarov and reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju now stands at 72 rating points.
Samarkand Olympiad the catalyst for Abdusattorov’s surge
Abdusattorov’s 18-point jump is directly tied to his performance on board one at the Chess Olympiad held in Samarkand, where he won a gold medal as Uzbekistan’s national team claimed overall victory in the competition. His new rating of 2,780 matches his previous personal best.
The summer had been difficult for Abdusattorov. After remaining in the top five through June, he dropped to sixth in July and fell further to eighth in August. The Samarkand result restored him to the elite group alongside his compatriot.
A milestone first reached in April
The two Uzbek grandmasters first appeared together in the world’s top five in April 2026 — the first time in history that two players from Uzbekistan had simultaneously held such positions. At that point Abdusattorov was fourth on 2,780 points, while Sindarov, who had won the Candidates Tournament in Cyprus, rose six places to fifth on 2,776. Both retained their top-five places through June before Abdusattorov’s summer dip.
Gukesh slides to 28th
Reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, who defeated Carlsen’s predecessor to claim the title, is currently ranked 28th with a rating of 2,710 — 84 points below his personal peak of 2,794, recorded in October 2024. At the Samarkand Olympiad Gukesh scored seven points while competing on India’s fourth board, helping the team to a silver medal. A loss to Gleb Duding in the final round cost him an individual gold medal in the board prizes.