Vitiugov Becomes England’s New Number One After Transfer From Russia

GM Nikita Vitiugov, the Russian Champion in 2021 and current world number 25, became the most significant transfer from Russia since the invasion of Ukraine, as his switch to England was officially confirmed by FIDE last week.

Vitiugov, who hails from St. Petersburg, is now England’s highest-ranked player with a rating of 2719, 43 points ahead of GM David Howell at 2676, making him eligible for participation in the 2024 Olympiad in Budapest.

“He is a welcome addition to the team and his knowledge and experience is something we look forward to him sharing with our up-and-coming…