Russian GM Sergey Karjakin returned from inactive status and entered 10th place in the world FIDE rankings on February 28. The reason for his return from inactivity was a match against a 1500+ rated player.

Sergey Karjakin played the Russian Chess Crown match against 8-year-old Mikhail Markov, whose Classical rating is 1533 points. Karjakin won both games in the match, after which Markov lost 6 rating points. The match took place in Krasnogorsk, Russia on February 22.

FIDE removed Sergey Karjakin from the official rating list in June 2024 following two years of inactivity in rated competitions. Karjakin previously 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