What Is Farming In Chess?

Have you seen the term “farming” in reports about chess players or chess tournaments and wondered what it means? Although the term is not new, it seems to be used more frequently. Here’s what you should know about farming in chess:

How The Term Farming Relates To Chess

The term “farming” in chess refers to the practice of playing weaker opponents by a player to boost their rating. By exploiting easy wins, a player can gain rating points or play many games without risking a significant rating loss.

Is Farming In Chess Permitted?

Farming by players rated 2650 and above is no longer permitted. A recent rule change applies only to them. Players with a lower rating may farm.

What Rule Change Did FIDE Make Concerning Farming?

The change by FIDE addresses the 400-point rule. Before the change, if the difference between the ratings of two players was more than 400 points, it was counted as just a difference of 400 points for rating purposes, meaning a top player could gain a minimum of 0.8 points for every win against a much weaker player. Before the change, the rule was not restricted by a player’s rating or how many times it could be applied in a tournament. With the change, which will apply to only players rated 2650 and above, the actual difference in ratings will be used, thus making farming less effective for elite players.

Who Is The Most Famous Farmer In Chess?

Clearly, the most famous farmer recently is GM Hikaru Nakamura. To meet the 40-game requirement to qualify for the 2026 Candidates Tournament via the rating spot, Nakamura played several lower-rated, local open tournaments in late 2025. Before entering these tournaments, he had played just 18 classical games, thus needing 22 more to reach the minimum number. The rating spot is awarded to the player with the highest average rating over six months, but to be eligible a player has to play at least 40 classical games in a prescribed time.

What Tournaments Did Nakamura Use For Farming?

To quickly accumulate the necessary number of minimum games, Nakamura played in small U.S. and Canadian tournaments, such as the Louisiana State Championship, the Iowa Open, and the Maritime Open before gaining his final game requirement in the 1st Annual Washington Dulles Open.

Nakamura’s play in these tournaments wasn’t concealed, and he regularly streamed about his participation. Here’s Nakamura in one of his “The Road to the Candidates” video recaps of the Iowa tournament.

How Did Nakamura Exploit The Previous Rating Rule?

By playing against much lower-rated opponents, Nakamura minimized the risk of losing significant rating points as he played to meet the game count requirement. About Nakamura's strategy, GM Magnus Carlsen called it "shameless."

However, FIDE in a tweet explained that the rule change was addressed to players other than just Nakamura. In a video, Nakamura himself addresses the rule change and the implications.

Is Nakamura The First Grandmaster To Take Advantage Of The 400-Point Rule?

No. GM Ding Liren had to play 26 more rated games in a month in order to meet the requirements to take the rating spot in 2022. He played in local double round-robin tournaments organized by the Chinese Chess Federation to meet the then-requirement of at least 30 games.

Who Is Affected By The Rule Change?

FIDE estimates that the change will affect approximately 70 top-rated grandmasters.

When Was The Change Effective?

After receiving a proposal from the Qualification Commission, the FIDE Council approved the change effective October 1, 2025.

Why Has Farming Been Banned In Chess?

FIDE announced that the change to the rating regulations “is designed to ensure the fairness and integrity of the FIDE rating system and provide a level playing field for all top-rated players.”