The Philippines, blacklisted by FIDE in the first quarter of the year due to unsettled arrears, is back in the list where it is currently ranked 40th in the world.
Paragua’s rating fell from 2618 to 2617 but improved from a share of 99th place with Turkish Suat Atalik and Romanian Andrei Istratestcu last January to solo 99th, barely ahead of former world challenger Jan Timman of the Netherlands and Evgeny Vladimirov of Kazakhstan both with 2616.
Paragua, 22, could have skidded to 100th place had former world champion Gary Kasparov of Russia not retired. Bulgarian Veselin Topalov and Indian Viswanathan Anand occupied the top two spots with 2804 and 2803, respectively.
Paragua was ninth among the Asians in the list behind Indians Anand, No. 21 Krishnan Sasikiran (2692) and No. 25 P. Harikrishna (2680), former world titlist Uzbek No. 29 Rustam Kasimdzhanov (2673), Chinese No. 72 Bu Xiangzhi (2640), No. 73 Zhang Zhong (2640) and No. 87 Zhang Pengxiang (2623), and Kazak Darmen Sadvakasov (2619).