Chess Elo Rating Comparison (FIDE Peak Ratings)
What does 2800 Elo mean? Compare 15 FIDE peaks and title floors, from Novice 800 to Carlsen 2882, with Kasparov, Fischer, Caruana and GM 2500. See rows.
Visual comparison
All values
Click any row to load it as Entry A.
| Name | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novice 800. Starting zone on many servers. Lowest here. | 800 elo | Informal rung, new online player | Chess.com ratings guide: new players start near 800 |
| Club player 1500. USCF Class C zone. | 1,500 elo | Informal rung, regular club player | USCF class bands: Class C 1400 to 1599 |
| Expert 2000. USCF Expert starts at 2000. | 2,000 elo | USCF title floor | USCF title system: Expert floor 2000 |
| National Master 2200. USCF Life Master and FIDE CM start here. | 2,200 elo | USCF master floor, FIDE CM zone | USCF title system and FIDE Handbook: 2200 |
| FIDE Master 2300 per FIDE title rules. | 2,300 elo | FIDE title rating | FIDE Handbook title regulations: FM 2300 |
| International Master 2400 per FIDE title rules. | 2,400 elo | FIDE title rating | FIDE Handbook title regulations: IM 2400 |
| Grandmaster 2500 per FIDE title rules. | 2,500 elo | FIDE top title rating | FIDE Handbook title regulations: GM 2500 |
| Super GM 2700. Shorthand for the 2700 club. | 2,700 elo | Informal elite line, not a title | Chess press usage: 2700 club for elite GMs |
| Bobby Fischer 2785. First 2700 breaker on FIDE lists. | 2,785 elo | US peak, July 1972 list | FIDE archive via peak ratings table: Fischer 2785, July 1972 |
| Ian Nepomniachtchi 2795. Two time title challenger. | 2,795 elo | Peak, March 2023 list | FIDE archive via peak ratings table: Nepomniachtchi 2795, March 2023 |
| Hikaru Nakamura 2816. Tied with Topalov and Ding peaks. | 2,816 elo | Peak, October 2015 list | FIDE archive via peak ratings table: Nakamura 2816, October 2015 |
| Viswanathan Anand 2817. Five time world champion. | 2,817 elo | Peak, March 2011 list | FIDE archive via peak ratings table: Anand 2817, March 2011 |
| Fabiano Caruana 2844. Third highest peak ever. | 2,844 elo | Peak, October 2014 list | FIDE archive via peak ratings table: Caruana 2844, October 2014 |
| Garry Kasparov 2851. Record stood 14 years until Carlsen. | 2,851 elo | Peak, July 1999 list | FIDE archive via peak ratings table: Kasparov 2851, July 1999 |
| Magnus Carlsen 2882. Highest official classical rating ever. Top here. | 2,882 elo | Peak, May 2014 list | FIDE archive via peak ratings table: Carlsen 2882, May 2014 |
About this converter
Chess Elo runs from beginner floors to historic peaks on one scale. Novice opens at 800, Club player at 1500, Expert at 2000, National Master at 2200, FIDE Master at 2300, International Master at 2400, Grandmaster at 2500, Super GM at 2700, Fischer at 2785, Nepomniachtchi at 2795, Nakamura at 2816, Anand at 2817, Caruana at 2844, Kasparov at 2851 and Carlsen at 2882. That makes Carlsen over three Novices stacked in points. Peaks pin published FIDE lists with the month kept in each note.
How to use it
Pick two entries and a unit in the top row. The three boxes below stay linked. Change any box and the other two update. One box holds a count of the first, one holds the matching count of the second, one holds the total in Elo. Try 1 Carlsen against Novices to see the 2000 point gap.
Ratings drift with inflation, so peaks pin the published list and month, not live figures. Novice 800 and Club 1500 are informal rungs, not titles. Expert 2000 and Master 2200 follow USCF floors. FM 2300, IM 2400 and GM 2500 follow FIDE rating requirements. Super GM 2700 is an informal elite line, not a FIDE title. Online site ratings run a touch off FIDE and stay out of this table.
FAQ
What is the highest Elo ever?
2882 on the May 2014 list. No other player has reached it.
What Elo makes a Grandmaster?
2500 plus three GM norms under FIDE title rules.
What is a Super GM?
2700 is shorthand for the elite 2700 club. FIDE awards no such title.
Do ratings inflate over time?
Yes. Old peaks sat lower across the board, so rows pin each published peak with its date.
Sources
- FIDE rating archives via peak ratings tables (Carlsen 2882 May 2014, Kasparov 2851 July 1999, Caruana 2844 Oct 2014, Anand 2817 Mar 2011, Nakamura 2816 Oct 2015, Nepomniachtchi 2795 Mar 2023, Fischer 2785 July 1972)
- FIDE Handbook title regulations (GM 2500, IM 2400, FM 2300, CM 2200 requirements)
- US Chess title system paper (Expert floor 2000, Master 2200, class bands)
- Chess.com ratings and player pages (starting zone near 800, Carlsen 2882 peak coverage)
Last verified: 2026-09-30 · 15 entries
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