FIDE Ratings — October 2026: Olympiad shifts rankings; Uzbekistan players gain

# Quick summary Samarkand. Team and board performances there produced notable upward movement for several players, especially members of Uzbekistan's squad. At the same time, a few high-profile absences meant no change for some of the world's top names.

Uzbekistan delivered the clearest gains. Nodirbek Abdusattorov gained 18 rating points and rose to fifth in the world. Javokhir Sindarov climbed to fourth and has narrowed the gap to Fabiano Caruana to just two rating points. Nodirbek Yakubboev added 27 points and crossed the 2700 threshold.

Other changes inside or near the top 10 included Wei Yi moving up to ninth. Vincent Keymer lost three rating points for his top-board performance with Germany and dropped two places overall. Arjun Erigaisi lost 13 points and fell out of the top 10 after a rough event: an opening-round loss to Laohawirapap Prin and a series of draws, though he won his final-round game against Peter Leko.

# Junior and female junior rankings Sixteen-year-old Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, already the world's strongest junior, gained 15 points in Samarkand and moved to 17th place on the overall list. He extended his lead over Gukesh in the junior rankings. In female junior standings, Alice Lee of the United States became the top-ranked player.

# Notable absences and their effect Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura and Alireza Firouzja did not play at the Olympiad. With those players absent, their ratings remained unchanged for October. Nakamura has largely put his professional career on hold, and Firouzja's relationship with the French federation appears unsettled, both noted in the reporting.

# Team dynamics and rating context Reports emphasize that Olympiad results show current form but are a snapshot. Team strategy influences individual outcomes: players sometimes avoid pushing for personal wins to secure team results, or accept risks for a team point. Many countries fielded their best teams, which magnified the rating swings for those who performed above or below expectations.

# Practical takeaways for readers

• Olympiad reshuffled several spots inside the top 20 and produced significant gains for Uzbekistan's top players.
• Junior rankings saw movement that affects the near-future landscape: Erdogmus extended his lead and Alice Lee rose to the top among female juniors.

# Where this matters next The October list sets the scene for events later in 2026, including the World Championship match between Gukesh and Javokhir Sindarov scheduled for November–December. Players who gained rating momentum at the Olympiad will enter that window with higher seedings and confidence.