Total Chess Rating: Arjun Erigaisi ranks sixth as new system combines all three formats

Arjun Erigaisi ranks sixth in the proposed Total Chess Rating, which combines classical, rapid and blitz strength, while Magnus Carlsen leads the inaugural…

Arjun Erigaisi ranks sixth in the proposed Total Chess Rating, which combines classical, rapid and blitz strength, while Magnus Carlsen leads the inaugural list.

A new rating system could change how the chess world measures its strongest players, with the proposed Total Chess Rating (TCR) aiming to combine performances across classical, rapid and blitz formats into a single number.

The system was unveiled ahead of the inaugural Total Chess World Championship Tour pilot in Budapest, Hungary, scheduled for November 10–20, 2026. The initiative is designed to identify players who excel across different time controls rather than focusing on strength in just one format.

According to the initial rankings reported by The Indian Express, world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen leads the list, while India's Arjun Erigaisi is the highest-ranked Indian player at sixth.

Carlsen leads, Arjun tops Indian players

Carlsen sits at the top of the proposed rankings, reflecting his exceptional record across classical, rapid and blitz chess.

Arjun is ranked sixth with a Total Chess Rating of 2751, making him India's leading player in the inaugural list. R Praggnanandhaa occupies 10th place with a rating of 2736.

Former world champion Ding Liren is ranked 14th with 2718, followed by Nihal Sarin and Viswanathan Anand, who are both listed at 2714. Reigning world champion D Gukesh is 26th with a rating of 2686.

The rankings offer a different perspective from FIDE's conventional lists, which maintain separate ratings for classical, rapid and blitz chess.

How does Total Chess Rating work?

The proposed system is intended to assess a player's combined strength across all three formats through one rating.

However, it is not simply an arithmetic average of a player's existing ratings. Its methodology aims to account for the differences between the formats and produce a more meaningful assessment of overall playing strength.

The concept was developed by Dr Mehmet Mars Seven of King's College London, with an eight-member working group that includes prominent chess figures such as Viswanathan Anand and FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky.

The objective is to make it easier to compare players whose strengths differ by format. A classical specialist, for example, may not necessarily rank above a rapid and blitz expert when all three disciplines are considered together.

Will it replace FIDE ratings?

Not for now. The Total Chess Rating remains a proposed system rather than an officially approved FIDE rating.

FIDE has said it welcomes the initiative and will monitor its development, but has no current plans to recognise it as an official rating system. Existing classical, rapid and blitz ratings will therefore continue to serve as the established benchmarks.

The first practical test will come at the Total Chess World Championship Tour pilot in Budapest next month. The event will combine fast classical, rapid and blitz competitions, with performances across the formats contributing to the overall championship.

If successful, the concept could offer fans a new way to judge all-round chess excellence when the full Total Chess World Championship Tour launches in 2027.