LEISURE: Kasparov still on top
By by eddie chua

April 23, 2005

GARRY Kasparov, who retired from the chess scene a month ago, is still
the world’s No. 1 player. The latest FIDE rating sees Kasparov on top
with a 2812 Elo. He is also the first player to breach the 2800
benchmark in 1990. Nine years later, he took the 2851 rating.

The next best player is Indian grandmaster Viswanathan Anand. He is
rated at 2785.

Veselin Topalov is third with 2778 Elo, followed by Peter Leko 2763
and Vladimir Kramnik 2753. This is the second straight time Kramnik
has placedfourth in the past decade. On the local front, IM Mas
Hafizulhelmi Agus Rahman is still Malaysia’s No. 1 player with a
rating of 2413. Next is FM Mok Tze Meng on 2351.

FMs Lim Yee Weng and Wong Zi Jing are rated at 2348 and 2330
respectively.A one-time ace player, IM Jimmy Liew is fifth with 2320
while FM Nicholas Chan is sixth with 2313. Ahmad Maliki is rated at
2244.

Lim Chuing Hoong, the country’s No. 8 player, is rated at 2239 while
Leong Mun Wan scored 2237.

FM Christie Hon, once the national No. 1, is 10th with 2236.

There are 75 rated players in Malaysia. The lowest rated local player
has a benchmark of 1905. The New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad.