Archive · 23 Dec 2025
Chess's 2700 Rating Club: The Hardest Leap
Reaching a 2700 rating in chess is very hard.
Only 33 grandmasters have achieved this.
Wesley So, a grandmaster, says it took him four years to go from 2600 to 2700.
Many young players are trying to reach this level.
Raunak Sadhwani and Leon Luke Mendonca are training hard to make the leap.
They talk to other players and coaches to find the best way.
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, a top player, says 2700-rated players are just a bit better in many areas.
It's not just one thing, but everything they do is a little better than 2600-rated players.
Only 33 grandmasters are currently rated 2700 or above in chess.
Wesley So took four years to reach 2700 after becoming a 2600-rated player at 15.
Nine Indian players are currently in the 2600 rating club aiming to reach 2700.
Raunak Sadhwani plans to train for a few months and then play back-to-back tournaments to gain ratings.
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, a permanent member of the 2700 club, says the difference lies in being a bit better in all aspects of the game.
- Who
- Grandmasters and aspiring chess players aiming for a 2700 rating
- What
- The challenges and strategies involved in reaching and maintaining a 2700 chess rating
- When
- Ongoing, with specific examples from players' experiences
- Where
- Global chess tournaments and training camps
- Why
- To achieve the status of a 'super grandmaster' and secure better opportunities in professional chess
- Current 2700-rated grandmasters
- 33
- Wesley So's time to reach 2700
- 4 years
- Indian challengers in 2600 club
- 9
- Raunak Sadhwani's daily training hours
- 6-7
- Leon Luke Mendonca's time in 2600 club
- 2.5 years
- Maxime Vachier-Lagrave's first 2700 rating
- 2008
- Vachier-Lagrave's World Cup breakthrough
- 2013