I notice alot of my opponents in online play here and elsewhere are from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philppines. Also quite many from India.

I rarely see players from Africa.

Few players from China too, I guess they are all playing Chinese chess :)

I get nervous playing anyone from the former Eastern Bloc countries (so not only Russia but Ukraine, Serbia, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria etc.); for some reason I just assume people from those countries will be good because chess is relatively more popular there. Irrational, I know.

It's not as "irrational" as pygmies flying to Finland with chestnuts taped to their feet

True...

Seriously?