In the last list of the top Chess players we published, we went over the best Lithuanian Chess players. Now in this article, we’re ranking the best Belgian Chess players from Belgium, starting with the number ten spot in FIDE. Most of these players are Grandmasters with an Elo rating over 2500. For more information on ratings, see the guide on how to get a FIDE rating.
10. Mikhail Gurevich
Full Name: Mikhail Gurevich
Title: Grandmaster
Born: February 22, 1959
Federation: Belgium
Ratings
World ranking: 277
Rapid: 2562
Blitz: 2610
Classical: 2580
Profiles
Mikhail Gurevich was granted the title of Grandmaster in 1985 and the license of FIDE Trainer in 2006. He has a FIDE rating of 2411 and a Peak rating of 2694. He clinched the Belgium chess championship in 2001 and attained the eighth position at the FIDE World cup in 2005, qualifying him for the Candidates tournament for the 2007 FIDE World chess tournament.
9. Stefan Docx
Full Name: Stefan Docx
Title: International Master
Born: January 12, 1974
Federation: Belgium
Ratings
World ranking: 1384
Rapid: 2364
Blitz: 2239
Classical: 2434
Profiles
In 2013, Stefan Docx was awarded, International Master and FIDE Master. Stefan Docx has played a total of 426 games from 1992 to 2021. In those games, he won 150, lost 136, and drew 140, thus equaling a winning score of 51.17 percent. Among the notable tournaments he played include; 23rd European teams 2021, TCh- BEL 2021, TCh- BEL 2019, and 43rd Olympiad 2018.
8. Vadim Malakhatko
Full Name: 1977
Title: Grandmaster
Born: March 22, 1977
Federation: Belgium
Ratings
World ranking: 1209
Rapid: 2446
Blitz: 2339
Classical: 2448
Profiles
Malakhatko was accorded the Grandmaster title in 1999 and the International Master title in 1997. He has a Peak rating of 2633 and a FIDE rating of 2448. Before switching citizenship, Malakhatko and the Ukrainian chess team were the gold medalists in the world team chess tournament in 2001 and bronze medalists at the 34th chess olympiad in 2000. Other games he performed well include; the Alushta tournament, where he came second, clinched the Politiken cup, was a runner-up at the 2009 Al Saleh 8th International Open, and triumphed in the 8th edition of the Balagna Open in 2011.
7. Alexandre Dgebuadze
Full Name: Alexandre Dgebuadze
Title: Grandmaster
Born: May 21, 1971
Federation: Belgium
Ratings
World ranking: 1099
Rapid: 2446
Blitz: 2459
Classical: 2458
Profiles
Alexandre Dgebuadze was granted the title of Grandmaster in 2000 and the International Master title in 1995 by FIDE. He has a Peak rating of 2563 and a FIDE rating of 2458. Alexandre clinched the Georgian chess tournament in 1990 and the Belgium chess tournament on four occasions, with the last victory in 2020.
Since he acquired the Belgian federation spot, he managed to be part of the 2021 chess world cup. He has played a total of 1110 games between 1989 and 2022. In those particular games, Dgebuadze won 492, drew 447, and lost 171, earning him a winning score of 64.46 percent. Some tournaments he participated in include; TCh-BEL 2021, 18th Vandoeuvre Open 2021, Dutch League 2021, and ch-BEL 2021.
6. Todor Todorov
Full Name: Todor Todorov
Title: Grandmaster
Born: January 1, 1974
Federation: Belgium
Ratings
World ranking: 1088
Rapid: N/A
Blitz: N/A
Classical: 2460
Profiles
Todor Todorov was crowned the title of Grandmaster in 2006 and the International Master in 1999. Todor has played a total of 388 games between 1991 and 2018. In those particular games, Todorov won 165, drew 134, and lost 89, earning him a winning score of 59.79 percent. Some tournaments he participated in include; Aegean Open 2017, TCh-FRA top 12 2018, Coupe de France 2018, and TCh- BEL 2018.
5. Igor Glek
Full Name: Igor Glek
Title: Grandmaster
Born: November 7, 1961
Federation: Belgium
Ratings
World ranking: 988
Rapid: 2419
Blitz: 2228
Classical: 2467
Profiles
Igor Glek was conferred with the title of Grandmaster in 1990 and the International Master title in 1987. The FIDE Trainer was granted to him in 2015. Igor has a FIDE rating of 2467 and a Peak rating of 2670. As a chess player, he won the World Open in 1990, Vienna Open in 1998, the Ultrcht Open in 1999, and the Zwolle Open in 2002. While still a Russian chess player, Glek and the other team members won the European team chess tournament in 1997.
Between 1981 and 2022, he has played 2211 games in which he has won 973, drawn 769, and lost 469, giving him a score of 61.40 percent. The most recent tournaments he participated in include; TCh-RUS HL 2021, ch-Moscow Rapid 2021, PNWCC vs Moscow Hybrid 2021, and BSV-IM-Turnier 2022.
4. Tanguy Ringoir
Full Name: Tanguy Ringoir
Title: Grandmaster
Born: January 1, 1994
Federation: Belgium
Ratings
World ranking: 789
Rapid: 2513
Blitz: 2587
Classical: 2490
Profiles
Tanguy Ringoir was granted the grandmaster title in 2015, the International Master title in 2010, and the FIDE Master title in 2008. Between 2004 and 2021, he played 575 games in which he won 166, drew 314, and lost 95, hence giving him a winning score of 56.17 percent. The most recent tournaments he participated in include; Charlotte Open 2021, CCCSA Holiday GM 2021, CCCSA Labor Day GMA 2021, and CCCSA Summer GMB 2021
3. Bart Michiels
Full Name: Bart Michiels
Title: Grandmaster
Born: October 30, 1986
Federation: Belgium
Ratings
World ranking: 311
Rapid: 2550
Blitz: 2565
Classical: 2571
Profiles
Bart Michiels was accorded the title of Grandmaster in 2014 and the International Master title in 2004. He has been a chess player from 1996 to 2022, playing 693 games. In those games, Michiels won 267, drew 279, and lost 147 games, thus earning a winning score of 58.66 percent. Among the notable games he competed in include; TCh-BEL 2019, TCh-BEL 2018, Dutch League 2021, and TCh-BEL 2021.
2. Daniel Dardha
Full Name: Daniel Dardha
Title: Grandmaster
Born: October 1, 2005
Federation: Belgium
Ratings
World ranking: 295
Rapid: 2504
Blitz: 2482
Classical: 2575
Profiles
In 2021, Daniel Dardha was accorded the title of Grandmaster, the International Master title in 2019, the FIDE Master title in, and the Candidate Master title in 2017. He has a FIDE rating of 2575 and a Peak rating of 2541. In 2017, Daniel clinched the Belgian chess tournament while 13 years of age. For the 405 games he has played, he equaled a winning percentage of 61.11 percent. The last matches he participated in include; Dutch League 2021, 13th Dolomiti Open 2022, 14th BPB Limburg Open, and 53rd Italian Teams Final 2022.
1. Mikhail Gurevich
Full Names: Mikhail Gurevic
Title: Grandmaster
Birth: February 22, 1959
Federation: Belgium
Ratings
World ranking: 277
Rapid: 2562
Blitz: 2610
Classical: 2580
Profiles
Gurevic earned the title of Grandmaster in 1985 and was recognized as a FIDE trainer in 2006. He has a FIDE rating of 2580 and a Peak rating of 269. Between 1970 and 2022, he has played 2379 games in which he has won 1093, drawn 935, and lost 351, giving him a winning score of 66.59 percent. The most recent tournaments he participated in include; the 14th BPB Limburg Open 2022 and the TCh- BEL 2021, 2019 & 2018.
That concludes the list of the best Belgian Chess players. If you like list posts like this, you may also be interested in seeing the ten best Canadian Chess players or the best Argentinian Chess players.
Sources
- “Daniel Dardha Wereldkampioen Snelschaken bij -14 jarige – Schaakkring Deurne-Zuid”. www.schaakkringdeurne-zuid.net. Retrieved 2022-01-15.
- “Daniel Dardha, a Belgian champion at 13!”. Chess News. 2019-08-31. Retrieved 2022-01-15.
- Times, The Brussels. “15-year-old is youngest Belgian Grandmaster in chess world”. www.brusselstimes.com. Retrieved 2022-01-15.
- ” https://worldcup.fide.com/results”. worldcup.fide.com. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
- “Campeonato de Georgia”. www.ajedrezdeataque.com. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
- “Dgebuadze, Alexandre”. ratings.fide.com. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
- “http://www.chessdom.com/news-2010/pierre-vacances-open “. Chessdom. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
- Crowther, Mark (7 January 2008). “TWIC 687: 83rd Hastings International Congress”. London Chess Center. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
- Giddins, Steve (5 January 2008). “Hastings 2007/08 – a Grandmaster is Born”. ChessBase. Retrieved 29 June 2009.
- Bartelski, Wojciech. “34th Chess Olympiad: Istanbul 2000”. OlimpBase. Retrieved 29 June 2009.
