< December 31, 1948     Back to date list    June 30, 1950 >

Top 10 active players as of December 31, 1949


All active players as of December 31, 1949

  #  

Player Rating +/- Best? 75%? Age
1 Botvinnik, Mikhail M28286267.2% #238.37
2 Fine, Reuben27456412.1% #635.22
3 Reshevsky, Samuel H2727657.7% #838.10
4 Keres, Paul2723554.7% #833.98
5 Smyslov, Vassily V2709553.0% #928.76
6 Boleslavsky, Isaak E2696562.0% #1230.55
7 Bronstein, David I2690541.4% #1225.86
8 Kotov, Alexander A2660550.4% #1836.38
9 Najdorf, Miguel2643520.1% #2139.70
10 Szabó, László2641530.1% #2232.78
11 Furman, Semen A2632590.2% #2529.08
12 Stĺhlberg, Gideon262254 #2741.92
13 Gligoric, Svetozar2621540.1% #2726.91
14 Flohr, Salo2618550.1% #2841.13
15 Eliskases, Erich G2616600.1% #3036.87
16 Bogoljubow, Efim D2606710.2% #3660.71
17 Averbakh, Yury L2604600.1% #3427.89
18 Geller, Efim P2602640.1% #3524.82
19 Pirc, Vasja259957 #3542.03
20 Benko, Pal C259760 #3621.46
21 Trifunovic, Petar259556 #3639.33
22 Lilienthal, Andor259054 #3738.65
23 Taimanov, Mark E258958 #3823.89
24 Lisitsin, Georgy M258964 #4040.22
25 Simagin, Vladimir P258660 #4030.52
26 Makogonov, Vladimir A2585730.1% #4345.34
27 Rossolimo, Nicolas258255 #4039.84
28 Euwe, Machgielis257454 #4348.61
29 Foltys, Jan257256 #4441.22
30 Kashdan, Isaac2569750.1% #5044.12
31 Levenfish, Grigory Y256558 #4760.80
32 Bondarevsky, Igor Z256056 #4936.63
33 Konstantinopolsky, Alexander M255563 #5339.86
34 Schmidt, Paul F254871 #5833.36
35 Böök, Eero254766 #5739.89
36 Kholmov, Ratmir D254559 #5624.63
37 Tartakower, Saviely G254157 #5762.85
38 Mikenas, Vladas254062 #5939.70
39 Yudovich, Mikhail M252967 #6638.56
40 Tolush, Alexander K252764 #6639.66
41 Kieninger, Georg252768 #6747.56
42 Medina García, Antonio A252270 #7030.25
43 Panov, Vasily N252063 #6943.16
44 Pilnik, Herman252060 #6835.97
45 Yanofsky, Daniel A251862 #6924.76
46 Barcza, Gedeon251556 #6938.36
47 Ragozin, Viacheslav V251354 #7041.23
48 Stoltz, Gösta250961 #7445.64
49 Lundin, Erik250865 #7545.50
50 Heinicke, Herbert T250372 #8044.79
51 O'Kelly de Galway, Albéric250257 #7638.62
52 Unzicker, Wolfgang249863 #8024.51
53 Alatortsev, Vladimir A249763 #8040.62
54 Sokolsky, Alexey P249261 #8241.19
55 Bolbochán, Julio249156 #8129.77
56 Zagoriansky, Evgeny A249164 #8439.37
57 Vidmar, Milan Sr248974 #8964.52
58 Rabar, Braslav248967 #8630.26
59 Pachmann, Ludek248457 #8525.63
60 Kottnauer, Cenek248456 #8539.85
61 Petrosian, Tigran V248063 #8920.53
62 Kopilov, Nikolay G247960 #8930.18
63 Kasparian, Genrikh M247970 #9339.84
64 Puc, Stojan247667 #9328.72
65 Rödl, Ludwig247374 #9742.66
66 Czerniak, Moshe247266 #9539.90
67 Denker, Arnold S246763 #9635.85
68 Koblencs, Aleksandrs246670 #9933.33
69 Lokvenc, Josef246466 #9950.66
70 Michel, Pablo246260 #9844.01
71 Kan, Ilia A246070 #10240.65
72 Aronin, Lev S246058 #9829.45
73 Guimard, Carlos E245857 #9936.73
74 Shamaev, Leonid I245273 #10744.59
75 Schmid, Lothar M245168 #10721.63
76 Richter, Emil244961 #10555.96
77 Ilivitsky, Georgy A244970 #10828.66
78 Abramov, Lev Y244866 #10738.54
79 Steiner, Herman244670 #11044.70
80 Fridstein, German S244665 #10838.10
81 Prins, Lodewijk244257 #10736.92
82 Rossetto, Héctor D244255 #10627.31
83 Kamishov, Mikhail P244171 #11340.99
84 Kramer, Haije243873 #11532.10
85 Steinsapir, Y.243771 #115
86 Szily, József243657 #11036.25
87 Sarapu, Ortvin243676 #11725.94
88 Kramer, George M243673 #11620.62
89 Zíta, František243470 #11640.09
90 Milic, Borislav243273 #11824.20
91 Tipary, Lajos243162 #11538.14
92 Enevoldsen, Jens243072 #11842.27
93 Bolbochán, Jácobo243060 #11543.01
94 Šajtar, Jaroslav242867 #11828.08
95 Goldberg, Grigory A242761 #11641.42
96 de Freitas, Márcio E242472 #12124.10
97 Liublinsky, Victor A242361 #11831.73
98 Sämisch, Friedrich242269 #12153.28
99 Niephaus, Walter241970 #12326.75
100 Dubinin, Peter V241768 #12340.50
101 Opocenský, Karel241765 57.89
102 Golombek, Harry241758 38.83
103 Bozic, Aleksandar241574
104 Tarasov, Vitaly G241573 26.94
105 Steiner, Lajos241462 46.54
106 Cortlever, Nicolaas241273 34.54
107 Chistiakov, Alexander N241066 35.94
108 Ufimtsev, Anatoly G240867 35.63
109 Szabados, Eugenio240760 51.49
110 Zemgalis240675
111 Flores Alvarez, Rodrigo240668 36.36
112 Estrin, Yacov B240363 26.69
113 Tomovic, Vasilje240270 43.63
114 Zagorovsky, Vladimir P240071 24.50
115 Ravinsky, Grigory Ionovich239963 40.20
116 Terpugov, Evgeny239871
117 Luckis, Marcos239760 44.95
118 Füster, Géza239567 39.86
119 Flórián, Tibor239363 30.82
120 Simonovic, Borko239275
121 Gereben, Ernö238559 42.53
122 Vukovic, Sava238373
123 Ujtelky, Maximilián238267 34.69
124 Bonch-Osmolovsky, Mikhail A237766 30.99
125 Machate, Gottlieb237675
126 Sanguinetti, Renato237661 33.69
127 van Scheltinga, Tjeerd D237468 35.81
128 Paoli, Enrico237459 41.96
129 Randviir, Jüri237468 22.59
130 Maderna, Carlos H237159 39.41
131 Sefc, Jan236767 25.06
132 Müller, Hans236664 53.08
133 Klaman, Konstantin M236674 32.02
134 Vajda, Arpád236571 53.66
135 Rohácek, Ivan V235863 40.69
136 Letelier Martner, René235766 34.28
137 Tsvetkov, Alexandar K235775 35.23
138 Fletzer, Gino235361
139 Nedeljkovic, Srecko234776 26.07
140 Ojanen, Kaarle Sakari234568
141 Platt, Josef234564
142 Kuzminykh, Evgeny234071
143 Czaya, Richard233874
144 Pomar Salamanca, Arturo233764 18.33
145 Grob, Henry233272 45.57
146 Iliesco, Juan T232961 51.70
147 Podgorný, Jirí232675 37.06
148 Heemsoth, Hermann232476 40.03
149 Erdelyi, Stefan232268 44.12
150 Janoševic, Dragoljub232276 26.48
151 Gawlikowski, Stanislaw231172
152 Plater, Kazimierz231073 34.82
153 Fuderer, Andrija230976 18.63
154 Zamikhovsky, Abram D230773 41.98
155 Galia, Karl230767
156 Cruz, Walter O230464 39.99
157 Wood, Baruch Harold230162
158 Kuppe, Wilhelm230173
159 Krogius, Nikolay V230173 19.44
160 Wade, Robert Graham229660
161 Corte, César J229564 35.65
162 Tautvaisas, Povilas229375
163 Rautenberg, Wilhelm229367
164 Benkö, Francisco228462 39.51
165 Castillo, Manuel227272
166 Martín, Pedro226966 18.99
167 Zimmermann, Otto225569
168 Trupan, Vladilen224571
169 Kuebart, Erich224576
170 Walther, Edgar221276 19.02
171 Olivera, Alfredo221172
172 Beni, Alfred219373 26.57
173 Khasin, Abram I218273 26.87
174 Beretta, H.215973
175 Lasker, Edward215768 64.08
176 Stalda, Giuseppe214069
177 Roux Cabral, Luis213568

These ratings, calculated as of December 31, 1949, incorporate all games (against rated opponents) played in the time between January 1, 1949 and December 31, 1949, along with the ratings that were already calculated as of December 31, 1948. Players who have played an insufficient number of games in recent years will not appear on the list, even though you may see them on previous and/or subsequent lists. Any players who have been completely inactive for three years are removed from the list.

Definition of columns in the above list:

# refers to the player's world rank on this list.

Player is the full name of the player. Click on the player's name to see a career progression of the player's ratings.

Rating is the calculated rating for the player, as of December 31, 1949. This represents the player's estimated strength on January 1, 1950.

+/- is the standard deviation of the player's rating estimate. It is based on a geometric average of the number of rated games played in past years. Players who play very frequently will have a smaller +/- value, indicating a greater confidence in the accuracy of their rating. Players whose +/- value exceeds 76 are classified as "inactive" and removed from the ranking list due to their infrequent play against rated opponents. Mathematically, a player's rating is an estimate of their exact strength on January 1, 1950. The +/- value represents the standard deviation of that estimate; the player's true strength on January 1, 1950 should be within one standard deviation of their calculated rating approximately 68% of the time, and within two standard deviations of their calculated rating approximately 95% of the time.

Best? is the estimated likelihood that the player was actually the strongest player in the world on January 1, 1950. Since ratings are known to be inaccurate, it is possible that a lower-rated player is actually much stronger than their rating would indicate, and it is also possible that other players are weaker than their ratings would indicate. This number indicates the likelihood that the player is indeed the strongest player in the world. On a particular list, it will add up to 100% across the complete list of all players. This value is only calculated for the top 100 players on any rating list.

75%? gives a 75%-confidence world ranking for the player. Because ratings are known to be inaccurate, even if a particular player is rated third in the world, we cannot say with 100% certainty that they are truly one of the three strongest players in the world. This number indicates the world rank that we are 75% sure the player is "no worse than". Thus if a player has a value of #12 in this column, we are 75% sure that the player is one of the twelve strongest players in the world. This value is only calculated for the top 100 players on any rating list.

Age is the player's exact age in years, on December 31, 1949. If a player's age is displayed as a link, that means that this rating was active at the time of their next birthday. Click on the link to see the sorted list of all players' ratings on their birthdays when turning that same age.

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