Azerbaijani grandmaster Teimour Radjabov could be removed from the FIDE classical ratings if he does not play an official rated game before the end of February.
According to Idman.Biz, Radjabov risks dropping out of the International Chess Federation’s classical rankings as early as the next update in March. Under FIDE regulations, players who do not take part in a single officially rated classical game over a 12-month period are listed as inactive and excluded from the rankings.
Radjabov last played classical rated games in February last year, a fact reflected in the FIDE rating list published on March 1, 2025, where he logged six games. Those appearances came at the Azerbaijan Championship, in which he reached the semi-finals before losing to Rauf Mammadov.
The 39-year-old will not compete in the upcoming Azerbaijan Championship, which begins on February 6. If he does not play any classical rated games by the end of this month, Radjabov will officially receive inactive status. His current classical rating of 2692 would then be frozen. He would, however, continue to appear in the rapid and blitz rankings, as he still plays events with faster time controls.
Radjabov could return to the classical rankings at any point by playing at least one officially rated classical game, which would immediately reactivate his current rating.
His potential exclusion would also have wider implications for Azerbaijan. FIDE’s men’s national rankings are calculated based on the average classical rating of a country’s top ten players, meaning Radjabov’s absence could significantly weaken Azerbaijan’s position in the global standings.
There are notable precedents in chess history of elite players stepping away and later returning at the highest level. One such example is Hikaru Nakamura, who was removed from the FIDE ratings in January 2021 but returned after a lengthy break and now sits second in the world rankings.
Radjabov is currently focused on coaching duties. He serves as captain of Azerbaijan’s men’s national team, which finished as runners-up at the European Team Championship last year under his leadership.
