Viswanathan Anand, who won the Corus Grandmasters chess title for the second successive year on Saturday, should ascend to the No. 2 spot in the next rating list.
The Indian mind champion's outright victory, with 8.5 points out of 13, should see him gain about eight or nine Elo points, which, when added to his current rating of 2766, should see him climb to at least 2774.
Vladimir Kramnik, who had a poor tournament, is likely to drop about eight points and come down from 2777 to 2769, which will make Anand a clear second in the ratings again.
The Indian NIIT brand ambassador was world No. 2, behind Garry Kasparov, for a long time before Kramnik overtook him.
"My next goal is 2800," said Anand, soon after the triumph in Wijk Aan Zee.
If he has another year like 2003, he should soon attain that landmark figure.
"I am glad to have begun the new year with a good victory in Wijk, which is one of my favourite events and venues."
The triumph gave Anand his 16th title since the 2000 World Championships in New Delhi and Teheran.
At the highest level in chess, it is almost unprecedented for such a high-ranking player to be so active and win as many times as Anand.
Meanwhile, there is talk about Anand being chosen for the Chess Oscar for 2003. The results, which will be declared after the counting of votes by the world's leading chess writers, are expected to be announced in a few weeks' time.
Anand's second straight win, and fourth overall, puts him in the elite company of Lajos Portisch, Max Euwe and Viktor Kortchnoi, who have won the Corus title four times.
If Anand manages to retain his title in 2005, too, he will emulate the feat of Kasparov, whose three wins came in consecutive years.
Anand's first two wins in Wjik Aan Zee were in 1989 and 1998, when he shared the title. But in 2003 and 2004 he won outright.
The classical chess results put together with his domination of the Rapid circuit last year, make him the best player overall, a fact that will count when the Chess Oscars are decided.
