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15 Countries With the Most Chess Grandmasters, Ranked

Only around 2,000 players in history have earned FIDE's coveted Grandmaster title. From European powerhouses to India's prodigy boom, here are the 15 countries with the most Chess Grandmasters as of 2026.

18 hours ago

6 Min Read16 Slides
  1. Ian Nepomniachtchi and Magnus Carlsen shaking hands across the chessboard at the 2021 World Chess Championship.
▼ Visual Countdown

Only around 2,000 players in history have earned FIDE's coveted Grandmaster title. From centuries-old European powerhouses to India's explosive prodigy revolution, here are the 15 countries with the most Chess Grandmasters as of 2026.

Swipe or tap ▶ to begin the countdown

©Wikimedia / Vladimir Barskij

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