Could You Be The Best In The World?

I was absent-mindedly looking through the official FIDE chess ratings when it occurred to me that although I'm never going to be the best chess player in the world (I still wince a bit as I admit that simple fact), I could still potentially be the best "Ryan" in the world (contrary to popular belief, my first name is not Sonof ).

So I had a check and...the highest rated Ryan on the FIDE list is rated 2310. I don't have an official rating any more, but I never got anywhere near that so my immediate hopes have been dashed. Still, it's not an impossible target but since I'm now the wrong side of 40 I need to get better fast!

If you want to find out if you're the best player with your first name (or surname) then try using the search facility at the FIDE ratings website*. Be warned, if your name is Magnus you're gonna be disappointed...

*top search tip - sort by descending rating and leave a space before and after your name - this searches for exact matches. When I didn't do this the result included other names e.g. Bryan.