GM Sergey Karjakin returned to inactive status and left the official FIDE rating list on March 2. FIDE has not officially published the reason for the cancellation of rating calculations.

Sergey Karjakin played the Russian Chess Crown match against 8-year-old Mikhail Markov on February 22. Karjakin left from inactive status and entered 10th place in the world FIDE rankings on February 28. Following the cancellation of rating calculations on March 2, Karjakin returned to inactive status, and Markov had 6 rating points returned after his loss to Sergey in the match.

FIDE previously removed Sergey Karjakin from the official rating list in June 2024 following two years of inactivity in rated competitions. Karjakin served a six-month ban in 2022 for his public support of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He maintains his refusal to participate in international tournaments under a neutral flag.

Credit: Justin Kellar