< December 31, 1955     Back to date list    December 31, 1956 >

Top 10 active players as of June 30, 1956


All active players as of June 30, 1956

  #  

Player Rating +/- Best? 75%? Age
1 Smyslov, Vassily V27485029.3% #535.27
2 Botvinnik, Mikhail M27405525.3% #644.86
3 Keres, Paul27144910.5% #940.48
4 Reshevsky, Samuel H27095812.0% #1044.59
5 Bronstein, David I2703507.5% #1032.36
6 Gligoric, Svetozar2670512.2% #1733.41
7 Petrosian, Tigran V2668501.9% #1727.04
8 Spassky, Boris V2667511.8% #1819.42
9 Geller, Efim P2659501.2% #2031.33
10 Taimanov, Mark E2655511.1% #2130.40
11 Kotov, Alexander A2652581.7% #2342.88
12 Najdorf, Miguel2638510.5% #2646.21
13 Averbakh, Yury L2630520.4% #2934.39
14 Boleslavsky, Isaak E2619540.3% #3337.06
15 Szabó, László2616500.1% #3339.28
16 Lutikov, Anatoly S2616731.3% #3923.40
17 Bolbochán, Julio2614610.5% #3736.28
18 Matanovic, Aleksandar2612540.2% #3626.10
19 Korchnoi, Viktor L2611530.2% #3625.27
20 Antoshin, Vladimir S2607540.2% #3727.13
21 Benko, Pal C2605610.3% #4027.95
22 Kholmov, Ratmir D2604570.2% #3931.13
23 Bannik, Anatoly A2602590.2% #4134.56
24 Ivkov, Borislav2596540.1% #4222.63
25 Zurakhov, Vladlen Y2592590.1% #4526.11
26 Euwe, Machgielis2591570.1% #4555.11
27 Furman, Semen A2584590.1% #4935.57
28 Schmid, Lothar M2578740.4% #5628.14
29 Pachmann, Ludek257151 #5232.13
30 Moiseev, Oleg L2571720.2% #5931.15
31 Filip, Miroslav256751 #5427.67
32 Panno, Oscar R256552 #5521.29
33 Unzicker, Wolfgang256352 #5731.01
34 Tal, Mikhail256257 #5919.63
35 Eliskases, Erich G256057 #5943.37
36 Nezhmetdinov, Rashid G2559700.1% #6543.53
37 Ilivitsky, Georgy A255854 #6035.17
38 Fuderer, Andrija255855 #6025.13
39 Flohr, Salo255657 #6247.63
40 O'Kelly de Galway, Albéric255559 #6345.12
41 Simagin, Vladimir P255355 #6337.02
42 Djuraševic, Božidar255363 #6523.18
43 Stĺhlberg, Gideon254951 #6348.43
44 Evans, Larry M254762 #6824.27
45 Pilnik, Herman253650 #7042.48
46 Vasiukov, Evgeny A253565 #7523.32
47 Mikenas, Vladas253565 #7646.20
48 Polugaevsky, Lev A253459 #7521.60
49 Byrne, Donald2532730.1% #8126.05
50 Olafsson, Fridrik253162 #7721.43
51 Trifunovic, Petar253055 #7545.82
52 Pirc, Vasja253056 #7548.52
53 Ragozin, Viacheslav V252656 #7747.72
54 Tolush, Alexander K252057 #8146.16
55 Lilienthal, Andor251966 #8545.15
56 Alexander, Conel H251864 #8547.20
57 Milic, Borislav251656 #8330.69
58 Rabar, Braslav251554 #8336.75
59 Bisguier, Arthur B251453 #8326.72
60 Janoševic, Dragoljub251269 #9032.97
61 Horowitz, Al251268 #9048.62
62 Lisitsin, Georgy M251156 #8646.71
63 Teschner, Rudolf250970 #9234.37
64 Barcza, Gedeon250756 #8844.85
65 Kluger, Guyla250158 #9342.46
66 Padevsky, Nikola B250059 #9323.09
67 Cuéllar Gacharná, Miguel250074 #10039.61
68 Bivshev, Vasily M249858 #9534.37
69 Lundin, Erik249769 #10051.99
70 Bilek, István249660 #9723.88
71 Czerniak, Moshe249665 #9946.41
72 Buslaev, Alexander N249273 #10426.70
73 Sanguinetti, Raúl C249159 #10023.41
74 Torán Albero, Román248958 #10024.72
75 Bogdanovic, Rajko248970 #10524.62
76 Kan, Ilia A248564 #10547.15
77 Alster, Ladislav248262 #10629.24
78 Kieninger, Georg248070 #11154.07
79 Borisenko, Georgy K247757 #10734.10
80 Udovcic, Mijo247760 #10935.80
81 Lombardy, William J247661 #10918.56
82 Portisch, Lajos247662 #11019.24
83 Gusev, Yury S246966 #11634.76
84 Darga, Klaus V246963 #11422.35
85 Ciocaltea, Victor246858 #11324.45
86 Guimard, Carlos E246154 #11643.23
87 Suetin, Alexey S246067 #12129.62
88 Rossetto, Héctor D245955 #11733.80
89 Karaklajic, Nikola245856 #11930.35
90 Uhlmann, Wolfgang245556 #12121.25
91 Chistiakov, Alexander N244864 #12842.44
92 Szily, József244663 #12942.74
93 Krogius, Nikolay V244666 #13125.93
94 Shamkovich, Leonid A244573 #13433.08
95 Penrose, Jonathan244462 #13022.72
96 Bolbochán, Jácobo244467 #13249.50
97 Estrin, Yacov B244365 #13133.19
98 Stoltz, Gösta244174 #13752.14
99 Bertok, Mario244163 #13226.82
100 Khasin, Abram I243859 #13333.37
101 Pfeiffer, Gerhard243767 33.04
102 Donner, Johannes H243752 28.98
103 Balanel, Ion243663 30.06
104 Minev, Nikolay N243262 25.48
105 Szilágyi, György243063 34.98
106 Bialas, Wolfram242973 20.84
107 Ravinsky, Grigory Ionovich242768 46.69
108 Šajtar, Jaroslav242664 34.57
109 Kasparian, Genrikh M242675 46.34
110 Fichtl, Jirí242561 35.37
111 Plater, Kazimierz242371 41.32
112 Sherbakov, Vitaly S242363 1.03
113 Lange, Wilfried242275 46.36
114 Sandor, Bela242061 36.54
115 Castaldi, Vincenzo241970 40.12
116 Medina García, Antonio A241959 36.74
117 Flores Alvarez, Rodrigo241873 42.85
118 Letelier Martner, René241869 40.77
119 Beilin, Mikhail Abramovich241668
120 Prins, Lodewijk241462 43.42
121 Tipary, Lajos241465 44.63
122 Lein, Anatoly241476 25.26
123 Sefc, Jan241160 31.55
124 Cherepkov, Alexander V241073 35.66
125 Heinicke, Herbert T240775 51.29
126 Gereben, Ernö240662 49.03
127 Puc, Stojan240666 35.22
128 Honfi, Karoly240562 25.67
129 Soloviev, Vladimir A240572 28.36
130 Sliwa, Bogdan240153 34.40
131 Ujtelky, Maximilián239962 41.19
132 Kramer, Haije239962 38.59
133 Bouwmeester, Henk B239763 26.78
134 Wexler, Bernardo239559 31.24
135 Yukhtman, Jacob239376 21.46
136 van Scheltinga, Tjeerd D239365 42.31
137 Zíta, František239364 46.58
138 Sokolsky, Alexey P238972 47.68
139 Marini, Luis238874 43.74
140 Behrensen, Jorge238563 26.17
141 Lengyel, Levente238474 23.05
142 Maric, Rudolf238376 29.13
143 Martín, Pedro238269 25.49
144 Mednis, Edmar J238276 19.27
145 Khalilbeili, Sultan237868
146 Shipman, Walter237769 27.20
147 Alvarez del Monte, Jose Luis237674
148 Joppen, Egon237576
149 Pogats, Jozsef237462 27.96
150 Dueckstein, Andreas237170 28.90
151 Dodero, Emilio237062
152 Porreca, Giorgio236964 28.83
153 Sanguinetti, Renato236874 40.19
154 Tapaszto, Laszlo236373
155 Porath, Yosef236276 47.06
156 Nievergelt, Erwin236175
157 Ader Hausman, Walter235673
158 Tarnowski, Alfred235570 39.32
159 Sherwin, James T235472 22.67
160 Golombek, Harry235455 45.33
161 Robatsch, Karl235173 27.70
162 Gurgenidze, Bukhuti I235167 22.62
163 Chukaev, Egor235071
164 Hajtun, Josef235072
165 Khachaturov, Andrey Andreevich235074
166 Matulovic, Milan234972 21.05
167 Fuller, John A234876
168 Shocron, Ruben234860 35.36
169 Beni, Alfred234761 33.07
170 Bely, Miklos234775 42.88
171 Wade, Robert Graham234657
172 Phillips, Alan233869 32.67
173 Ban, Jeno233774
174 Cantero, Ronaldo233774
175 Pelikán, Jorge233761 50.19
176 Paoli, Enrico233570 48.46
177 Dely, Peter233560 21.98
178 Persitz, Rafael233469
179 Lebedev, B.233370
180 Roessel, Fritz233269
181 Witkowski, Stefan233169 24.75
182 Fuchs, Reinhart232874 21.75
183 Scafarelli, Francesco232769 22.68
184 Esposito, Alfredo232570
185 Sterner, Olof232576
186 Andersen, Borge232276 22.28
187 Balcarek, Wiktor232073 40.50
188 Maderna, Carlos H232061 45.90
189 Blatny, Frantisek231576 23.24
190 Vladimirov, Boris T231373 27.12
191 Gufeld, Eduard E231076 20.28
192 Redolfi, Argentino Rodolfo230863
193 Szollosi, Laszlo Sr230873 29.87
194 Pithart, Frantisek230463
195 Navarovszky, Laszlo230468 23.24
196 Kozma, Julius230370 27.08
197 Sakharov, Yury N230373 33.78
198 Kotkov, Yuri M230367
199 Fairhurst, William A230273 52.85
200 Idigoras Guisasola, Gregorio229859
201 Dolezal, Jiri229776 27.37
202 Clarke, Peter H229674
203 Haag, Ervin228976 23.47
204 Zsedenyi, B.228876
205 Jezek, Jaroslav228864 30.31
206 Toth, Vince228369
207 Dworzynski, Roman228364
208 Corte, César J227875 42.15
209 Díez del Corral, Jesús227476 23.23
210 de Souza Mendes, Joăo226671 63.93
211 Jenei, Ferenc226376 40.68
212 Reinhardt, Enrique H225360 53.25
213 Benkö, Francisco225368 46.02
214 Gromek, Jozef225368 25.19
215 Molnar, Imre224676 25.63
216 Bauza, Lorenzo223464
217 Palermo, Vicente222374 24.30
218 Lipiniks, Leonardo222271 32.24
219 Olivera, Alfredo220563
220 Orbaan, Constant220571 38.10
221 De Greif, Boris220269 26.38
222 Isain, Pedros Santos219676
223 Rubio Aguado, Fernando219676
224 Kettner, E.219473
225 Georgadze, Tamaz V219073 8.63
226 Zubieta215976
227 Fazekas, Stefan215376 58.09
228 Laurencena, Alberto212174
229 Suarez, J.212174
230 Gondim, Jose208968

These ratings, calculated as of June 30, 1956, incorporate all games (against rated opponents) played in the time between July 1, 1955 and June 30, 1956, along with the ratings that were already calculated as of June 30, 1955. 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 June 30, 1956. This represents the player's estimated strength on July 1, 1956.

+/- 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 July 1, 1956. The +/- value represents the standard deviation of that estimate; the player's true strength on July 1, 1956 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 July 1, 1956. 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 June 30, 1956. 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.

Back to top

Home