Highest classical chess ratings ever: Wales
The best rating of every player who represents Wales today, on FIDE's classical rating lists since July 1971.
IM James Cobb's 2451 on the October 2008 list is the highest classical rating held by a player who represents Wales today.
| # | Player | Peak | First reached | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WLS · Oct 2008 · Latest 2428 | 2451 | Oct 2008 | 2428 |
| 2 | WLS · Jun 2013 · Latest 2394 | 2440 | Jun 2013 | 2394 |
| 3 | WLS · Jan 1984† · Latest 2360 | 2430 | Jan 1984† | 2360 |
| 4 | WLS · Dec 2019 · Latest 2350 | 2419 | Dec 2019 | 2350 |
| 5 | WLS · Jan 1975† · Latest 2242 | 2415 | Jan 1975† | 2242 |
| 6 | WLS · Jul 2010 · Latest 2402 | 2402 | Jul 2010 | 2402 |
| 7 | WLS · Jan 1985† · Latest 2206 | 2395 | Jan 1985† | 2206 |
| 8 | WLS · Jan 2005 · Latest 2139 | 2380 | Jan 2005 | 2139 |
| 9 | WLS · Nov 2018 · Latest 2345 | 2374 | Nov 2018 | 2345 |
| 10 | WLS · Jan 1978† · Latest 2315 | 2345 | Jan 1978† | 2315 |
| 10 | WLS · Jan 1996† · Latest 2169 | 2345 | Jan 1996† | 2169 |
| 12 | WLS · Jan 1977† · Latest 2325 | 2340 | Jan 1977† | 2325 |
| 13 | WLS · Jul 2009 · Latest 2267 | 2339 | Jul 2009 | 2267 |
| 14 | WLS · Sep 2017 · Latest 2211 | 2334 | Sep 2017 | 2211 |
| 15 | WLS · Jan 1983† · Latest 2245 | 2330 | Jan 1983† | 2245 |
| 16 | WLS · Jan 1979† · Latest 2280 | 2315 | Jan 1979† | 2280Jan 1994 |
| 17 | WLS · Mar 2019 · Latest 2171 | 2304 | Mar 2019 | 2171 |
| 18 | WLS · Jul 1992† · Latest 2095 | 2300 | Jul 1992† | 2095 |
| 18 | WLS · Jul 1994† · Latest 2300 | 2300 | Jul 1994† | 2300 |
| 18 | WLS · May 2010 · Latest 2143 | 2300 | May 2010 | 2143 |
| 21 | WLS · Jul 2004 · Latest 2257 | 2299 | Jul 2004 | 2257 |
| 22 | WLS · Jul 1990† · Latest 2041 | 2295 | Jul 1990† | 2041 |
| 22 | WLS · Jul 1993† · Latest 1976 | 2295 | Jul 1993† | 1976 |
| 22 | WLS · Jul 1998† · Latest 2274 | 2295 | Jul 1998† | 2274 |
| 22 | WLS · Jan 1999† · Latest 2162 | 2295 | Jan 1999† | 2162 |
| 22 | WLS · Nov 2010 · Latest 2128 | 2295 | Nov 2010 | 2128 |
| 27 | WLS · Jan 1989† · Latest 2121 | 2290 | Jan 1989† | 2121 |
| 28 | WLS · Jul 2008 · Latest 2012 | 2284 | Jul 2008 | 2012Jan 2026 |
| 29 | WLS · Jul 2002 · Latest 2268 | 2273 | Jul 2002 | 2268 |
| 30 | WLS · Oct 2008 · Latest 2117 | 2272 | Oct 2008 | 2117 |
| 31 | WLS · Jan 1993† · Latest 1985 | 2260 | Jan 1993† | 1985 |
| 32 | WLS · Apr 2026 · Latest 2239 | 2258 | Apr 2026 | 2239 |
| 33 | WLS · Jan 1993† · Latest 2160 | 2255 | Jan 1993† | 2160 |
| 33 | WLS · Jul 1993† · Latest 2211 | 2255 | Jul 1993† | 2211 |
| 35 | WLS · Oct 2001 · Latest 1998 | 2253 | Oct 2001 | 1998 |
| 36 | WLS · Jul 2006 · Latest 1839 | 2243 | Jul 2006 | 1839 |
| 37 | WLS · Jul 1995† · Latest 2110 | 2235 | Jul 1995† | 2110 |
| 38 | WLS · Jul 2018 · Latest 2174 | 2233 | Jul 2018 | 2174 |
| 39 | WLS · Jul 1995† · Latest 2013 | 2225 | Jul 1995† | 2013 |
| 40 | WLS · Jun 2025 · Latest 2148 | 2208 | Jun 2025 | 2148 |
| 41 | WLS · Jan 1995† · Latest 2067 | 2205 | Jan 1995† | 2067 |
| 41 | WLS · Jul 1995† · Latest 2160 | 2205 | Jul 1995† | 2160 |
| 41 | WLS · Jul 1997† · Latest 2158 | 2205 | Jul 1997† | 2158 |
| 44 | WLS · Jun 2022 · Latest 2065 | 2194 | Jun 2022 | 2065 |
| 45 | WLS · May 2024 · Latest 2048 | 2186 | May 2024 | 2048 |
| 46 | WLS · Jul 2005 · Latest 2058 | 2184 | Jul 2005 | 2058 |
| 47 | WLS · Jul 1993† · Latest 1886 | 2180 | Jul 1993† | 1886 |
| 47 | WLS · Jan 1995† · Latest 2071 | 2180 | Jan 1995† | 2071 |
| 47 | WLS · Jul 1995† · Latest 2029 | 2180 | Jul 1995† | 2029 |
| 47 | WLS · Jul 1995† · Latest 2150 | 2180 | Jul 1995† | 2150 |
| 51 | WLS · Apr 2005 · Latest 2085 | 2178 | Apr 2005 | 2085 |
| 52 | WLS · Oct 2001 · Latest 1952 | 2175 | Oct 2001 | 1952 |
| 53 | WLS · Jul 1993† · Latest 2140 | 2170 | Jul 1993† | 2140 |
| 54 | WLS · Mar 2014 · Latest 2166 | 2169 | Mar 2014 | 2166 |
| 55 | WLS · Oct 2006 · Latest 2037 | 2167 | Oct 2006 | 2037 |
| 56 | WLS · Jan 1995† · Latest 2085 | 2165 | Jan 1995† | 2085 |
| 56 | WLS · Jan 1995† · Latest 1961 | 2165 | Jan 1995† | 1961 |
| 56 | WLS · Jan 1998† · Latest 2165 | 2165 | Jan 1998† | 2165 |
| 59 | WLS · Jul 2009 · Latest 2052 | 2163 | Jul 2009 | 2052 |
| 60 | WLS · Jul 2002 · Latest 2004 | 2161 | Jul 2002 | 2004 |
| 61 | WLS · Jul 1999† · Latest 2090 | 2159 | Jul 1999† | 2090 |
| 62 | WLS · Jan 1999† · Latest 1949 | 2157 | Jan 1999† | 1949 |
| 63 | WLS · Jan 1993† · Latest 1907 | 2155 | Jan 1993† | 1907 |
| 63 | WLS · Jan 1995† · Latest 1985 | 2155 | Jan 1995† | 1985 |
| 63 | WLS · Jul 2000† · Latest 1826 | 2155 | Jul 2000† | 1826 |
| 66 | WLS · Jan 2010 · Latest 2057 | 2154 | Jan 2010 | 2057 |
| 67 | WLS · Dec 2025 · Latest 2125 | 2153 | Dec 2025 | 2125 |
| 68 | WLS · Jan 2000† · Latest 2044 | 2150 | Jan 2000† | 2044Sep 2020 |
| 68 | WLS · Jul 2007 · Latest 1937 | 2150 | Jul 2007 | 1937 |
| 70 | WLS · Feb 2025 · Latest 2050 | 2149 | Feb 2025 | 2050 |
| 71 | WLS · Jan 2006 · Latest 2041 | 2148 | Jan 2006 | 2041 |
| 71 | WLS · Apr 2013 · Latest 2087 | 2148 | Apr 2013 | 2087 |
| 73 | WLS · Nov 2017 · Latest 1995 | 2144 | Nov 2017 | 1995 |
| 74 | WLS · Oct 2001 · Latest 1923 | 2143 | Oct 2001 | 1923 |
| 75 | WLS · Jul 2002 · Latest 2126 | 2137 | Jul 2002 | 2126 |
| 76 | WLS · Jan 1998† · Latest 2135 | 2135 | Jan 1998† | 2135 |
| 77 | WLS · Jan 2000† · Latest 2081 | 2133 | Jan 2000† | 2081 |
| 78 | WLS · Apr 2003 · Latest 2118 | 2128 | Apr 2003 | 2118Jan 2018 |
| 79 | WLS · Jul 1994† · Latest 1858 | 2125 | Jul 1994† | 1858 |
| 80 | WLS · Jun 2013 · Latest 1986 | 2123 | Jun 2013 | 1986 |
| 81 | WLS · Oct 2001 · Latest 1992 | 2117 | Oct 2001 | 1992 |
| 82 | WLS · Nov 2019 · Latest 2109 | 2115 | Nov 2019 | 2109 |
| 83 | WLS · Jan 1995† · Latest 2035 | 2110 | Jan 1995† | 2035 |
| 84 | WLS · Jan 2007 · Latest 1959 | 2106 | Jan 2007 | 1959 |
| 84 | WLS · May 2012 · Latest 1960 | 2106 | May 2012 | 1960 |
| 86 | WLS · Jul 1993† · Latest 1859 | 2105 | Jul 1993† | 1859 |
| 86 | WLS · Sep 2016 · Latest 2105 | 2105 | Sep 2016 | 2105 |
| 88 | WLS · Jul 2003 · Latest 2095 | 2104 | Jul 2003 | 2095 |
| 89 | WLS · Jul 2008 · Latest 1920 | 2103 | Jul 2008 | 1920 |
| 89 | WLS · Mar 2026 · Latest 2103 | 2103 | Mar 2026 | 2103Mar 2026 |
| 91 | WLS · Jan 1999† · Latest 1713 | 2102 | Jan 1999† | 1713 |
| 92 | WLS · Jun 2026 · Latest 2056 | 2100 | Jun 2026 | 2056 |
| 93 | WLS · Jan 2004 · Latest 2039 | 2099 | Jan 2004 | 2039 |
| 94 | WLS · Oct 2022 · Latest 1955 | 2095 | Oct 2022 | 1955 |
| 95 | WLS · Apr 2009 · Latest 1906 | 2094 | Apr 2009 | 1906 |
| 96 | WLS · Jul 1997† · Latest 2075 | 2090 | Jul 1997† | 2075 |
| 97 | WLS · Jul 2006 · Latest 2001 | 2087 | Jul 2006 | 2001 |
| 98 | WLS · Apr 2001 · Latest 2072 | 2086 | Apr 2001 | 2072 |
| 99 | WLS · By Jan 2001 · Latest 1941 | 2085 | By Jan 2001 | 1941 |
| 100 | WLS · Jan 2006 · Latest 1800 | 2082 | Jan 2006 | 1800Nov 2023 |
Peak is a player's highest rating on any of FIDE's classical rating lists since July 1971. When a player reached the same peak more than once, the first month is shown; 'By Jan 2001' means the peak was already on the earliest list we have for that player, so it may be older. Latest is the rating on the most recent list that rates the player. Players are listed under the federation they represent today, with every rating they have held, including ratings held while representing another federation.
† From FIDE's rating lists before 2001, compiled by Wojciech Bartelski at OlimpBase (olimpbase.org).