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Strongest chess couples: 5000+ club

Strongest chess couples: 5000+ club

Vlad_Akselrod
| 16 | Chess Players

If only they were married: GM Kasparov (2851) - GM Polgar (2735) = 5586

WGM Natalia Pogonina and Peter Zhdanov (they married on June, 5) decided to compile a list of the strongest chess couples in the world who could become members of the honorary "5000+ Club".

The requirements for becoming a member are the following:

1)     Two chess players should be officially married (no girlfriend & boyfriend stuff)

2)     The sum of their peak FIDE ratings should be 5000 (!) or more

So, as of this day, we have the following list of of "5000+ Club" members:

GM Ivanchuk (2787) – GM Galliamova (2554) = 5341 (X)

GM Shirov (2755) – IM Cmilyte (2512) = 5267 (X)

GM Grischuk (2748) – IM Zhukova(2490) = 5238

GM Lautier (2687) – IM Skripchenko (2498) = 5185 (X)

GM Fressinet (2676) – IM Skripchenko (2498) = 5174

GM Socko B (2660) – GM Socko M (2505) = 5165

GM Peng Xiaomin (2657) – WGM Qin Kanying (2501) = 5158

GM Al-Modiakhi (2588) – GM Zhu Chen (2548) = 5136

GM Wu Shaobin (2545) – GM Xie Jun (2574) = 5119

GM Korneev (2671) – WGM Kononenko (2442) = 5113

GM Movsesian(2751) – WGM Krupkova (2362) = 5113 (X)

GM Fridman (2646) – IM Zatonskih (2462) = 5108

GM Illescas (2640) – IM Alexandrova (2462) = 5102

GM Zhang Zhong (2667) – WGM Li Ruofan (2433) = 5100

GM Кosashvili (2549) – IM Polgar Sofia (2540) = 5089

GM Fountaine (2572) – GM Lahno (2509) = 5081

GM Kharlov (2656) – WGM Zaiatz (2422) = 5078 (X)

GM Atalik S (2632) – WGM Atalik E (2434) = 5066

GM Bellon (2510) – GM Cramling (2550) = 5060

GM Gulko (2644) – WGM Akhsharumova (2400) = 5044

GM Malakhatko (2621) – IM Zozulia (2412) = 5033

GM Lalic B (2600) – IM Lalic S (2405) = 5005 (X)

Some couples were very-very close to making it to the list: GM Turov (2584) – WGM Turova (2415) = 4999 (!); GM Charbonneau (2510) – IM Krush (2479) = 4989; GM Hernandez G (2572) – WGM Amura (2405) = 4977; GM Makarov (2560) – WGM Demina (2405) = 4965; GM Eljanov (2716) - WIM Dvoretska (2212) = 4928, etc., but they still have chances.

Natalia and Peter will be keeping the traditions of "5000+ Club" and reviewing the list in accordance with the upcoming changes.

If you have any updates, corrections, wishes - feel free to leave a comment!

Originally published at WGM Natalia Pogonina's official website

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