ELO ReportAfter Ho Chi Minh City World Cup 2026

This tournament did not simply crown Frédéric Caudron. It completely reopened the top of the ELO table.

Before Ho Chi Minh City, Cho Myung Woo had clear control at No. 1 with 1815 ELO. After the event, Cho is still No. 1, but his lead has been cut hard. Caudron jumped from No. 6 to No. 2, gaining +103 ELO, and now sits only 15 points behind Cho.

That is the headline.

Cho is still the king. Caudron is now at the gate.

1. Top Tier: The Championship Zone

1. Cho M.W. — Still No. 1, but no longer untouchable

Before: No. 1 — 1815

After: No. 1 — 1799

Movement: -16 ELO

Tournament record: 3W / 1L

Average: 2.229

High run: 13

Cho did not collapse. His numbers were still elite. A 2.229 average across four matches is world-class, and that is why this is not a disaster report.

But ELO does not care about reputation. It cares about results against expectation.

Cho entered Ho Chi Minh City with a massive ELO position. That means every loss is expensive and every normal win gives limited reward. His early exit cost him enough to bring the field closer.

The important point: Cho kept No. 1, but lost separation.

Before this event, Cho looked like he had a cushion. Now he has pressure behind him. Caudron is only 15 points away.

Verdict: Still the top player by ELO, but his margin is gone. The next World Cup becomes dangerous for him.

2. Caudron F. — The biggest winner of the tournament

Before: No. 6 — 1681

After: No. 2 — 1784

Movement: +103

ELOTournament record: 6W / 1L

Average: 1.806

High run: 15

Final: Beat Thai H.C. 50–25 in 22 innings

Semifinal: Beat Zanetti 50–39

Quarterfinal: Beat Heo 50–31

This was the perfect ELO tournament for Caudron.

He did not just win. He beat the right players at the right time: Heo, Zanetti, and Thai in the final rounds. The semifinal win over Zanetti was the ranking-changing match. Caudron entered that match below Zanetti’s tournament ELO and gained +28 from that one result.

Then in the final, he destroyed Thai 50–25 with a 15 high run. That was not a close escape. That was a champion closing the door.

Caudron’s rise from No. 6 to No. 2 is the biggest top-tier movement in this report. He is not “back in the conversation.” He is now directly attacking No. 1.

Verdict: Caudron is the new immediate threat to Cho. This tournament changed his status from dangerous legend to active ELO title contender.

3. Zanetti M. — Strong tournament, but Caudron blocked the breakthrough

Before: No. 5 — 1685

After: No. 3 — 1735

Movement: +50 ELO

Tournament record: 5W / 1L

Average: 1.891

High run: 13

Zanetti had an excellent event. Moving from No. 5 to No. 3 is not small. His win over Tasdemir in the quarterfinal helped confirm that he belongs in the top-tier fight.

But the semifinal loss to Caudron is the problem.

That match did two things at once: it lifted Caudron into No. 2 and stopped Zanetti from making a serious attack on Cho. Zanetti still gained +50 ELO, so this was a positive tournament. But he lost the match that would have changed the power structure even more.

Verdict: Zanetti is clearly top-tier now, but Caudron took the bigger prize.

4. Sidhom S. — The biggest top-tier warning sign

Before: No. 2 — 1763

After: No. 4 — 1716

Movement: -47 ELO

Tournament record: 1W / 2L

Average: 1.727

This was a damaging event for Sidhom.

He entered Ho Chi Minh City as No. 2. He left as No. 4. The ELO loss is not catastrophic, but the timing is bad because Caudron and Zanetti both passed him.

The issue is not average. 1.727 is respectable. The issue is tournament survival. A top-two player cannot exit early while the players behind him are making semifinal and final runs.

That is how ELO pressure works: you do not only lose your own points; you watch rivals collect the points you failed to defend.

Verdict: Sidhom is still elite, but he lost control of the No. 2 battle.

5. Merckx E. — Strong run, painful semifinal miss

Before: No. 4 — 1722

After: No. 5 — 1706

Movement: -16 ELO

Tournament record: 4W / 2L

Average: 2.071

High run: 20

Semifinal: Lost to Thai 46–50

L8: Beat Kim D.H. 50–23

L16: Beat Horn 50–43

Merckx played strong billiards. His 2.071 average and 20 high run show that his scoring power was there.

But the semifinal loss to Thai was expensive. Thai was lower-rated, so losing that match cost Merckx -29 ELO. That one result changed his tournament from “possible title push” to “missed opportunity.”

The Horn win was valuable. The Kim win was professional. But the Thai loss is the one that defines his ELO story.

Verdict: Performance level was top-tier. ELO result was negative because he lost the wrong match.

6. Karakurt B. — Still dangerous, but this was a step back

Before: No. 3 — 1731

After: No. 6 — 1702

Movement: -29 ELO

Tournament record: 2W / 2L

Average: 1.900

Karakurt dropped from No. 3 to No. 6. That is a serious ranking loss.

The key damage came in the L16 loss to Heo J.H., where Karakurt lost 42–50 and gave up -33 ELO. That is the kind of result that punishes a top-tier player. Heo was dangerous, but Karakurt was expected to win from an ELO perspective.

Karakurt is still inside the elite conversation, but this tournament moved him backward while Caudron and Zanetti surged forward.

Verdict: The talent is not the question. The problem is volatility. He cannot afford these expensive exits if he wants to fight for No. 1.

2. Tier 1: The Attack Group

Jaspers D. — Ranking stable, but the title threat weakened

Before: No. 7 — 1675

After: No. 7 — 1665

Movement: -10 ELO

Tournament record: 2W / 1L / 2D

Average: 1.831

Jaspers stayed at No. 7, but this was not a strong ELO event.

He survived Tran in the L16, winning 50–48, but then lost to Thai in the quarterfinal 46–50. That Thai match was very expensive: -29 ELO.

Jaspers did not fall in ranking because others around him also had mixed results. But he did not move closer to the top. In a tournament where Caudron gained +103 and Zanetti gained +50, standing still is not enough.

Verdict: Jaspers remains elite by reputation and still dangerous by ELO, but this event did not help his chase.

Tasdemir T. — Quietly protected his position

Before: No. 9 — 1656

After: No. 8 — 1650

Movement: -6 ELO

Tournament record: 2W / 1L / 2D

Average: 1.903

High run: 17

Tasdemir did not gain ELO, but he moved up one ranking spot because Horn dropped more.

His tournament was balanced: not a breakout, not a collapse. The quarterfinal loss to Zanetti 45–50 was respectable. Losing to a top player does not destroy your ELO the same way losing to a lower-rated player does.

Verdict: Stable, dangerous, but not yet applying pressure to the top five.

Horn M. — A negative tournament despite solid level

Before: No. 8 — 1665

After: No. 9 — 1641

Movement: -24 ELO

Tournament record: 2W / 2L

Average: 1.596

Horn lost to Merckx in the L16, 43–50. That is not a shameful loss, but it stopped his tournament before the ranking points could grow.

The bigger issue is that players below him — especially Thai and Heo — gained heavily. Horn did not only lose ELO; he lost space.

Verdict: Still Tier 1, but this was a missed chance to stay attached to the top-tier group.

Thai H.C. — The breakthrough story

Before: No. 19 — 1557

After: No. 10 — 1622

Movement: +65 ELO

Tournament record: 6W / 2L / 1D

Average: 1.827

High run: 14Finalist

Thai is the biggest story outside Caudron.

He jumped from No. 19 to No. 10 and entered the edge of the elite zone. His run was not lucky. He beat Bao, Jaspers, and Merckx in consecutive pressure rounds:

• L16: beat Bao 50–47

• L8: beat Jaspers 50–46

• Semi: beat Merckx 50–46

• Final: lost to Caudron 25–50

That is a brutal route. The Jaspers and Merckx wins are especially important because those are top-tier names. Thai did not just collect points against weaker players. He beat established power.

The final was one-sided, but it does not erase the run. He gained +82 ELO in the tournament file, and the ranking screenshot shows a top-30 movement of +65 compared with the Bogotá table.

Verdict: Thai is now a real Tier 1 threat. The next question is whether this was a peak tournament or the beginning of a permanent rise.

Tran T.L. — Excellent level, but stopped too early

Before: No. 10 — 1608

After: No. 11 — 1611

Movement: +3 ELO

Tournament record: 2W / 1L / 1D

Average: 2.154

L16: Lost to Jaspers 48–50

Tran’s tournament is a perfect example of why averages alone do not tell the full story.

His 2.154 average was elite. But the L16 loss to Jaspers 48–50 stopped the ranking move. That match was extremely close and high-level. It was also decisive. If Tran wins that match, he likely enters the top 10 and changes the Tier 1 map.

Instead, Thai took that role.

Verdict: Tran’s game level was better than his ranking movement. The ELO table says +3, but the performance says danger.

Heo J.H. — Strong rise and one major upset

Before: No. 21 — 1542

After: No. 12 — 1607

Movement: +65 ELO

Tournament record: 5W / 2L

Average: 1.792

High run: 14

Big win: Beat Karakurt 50–42

Heo made one of the biggest jumps of the event.

The defining match was the L16 win over Karakurt. Heo gained +33 ELO from that upset alone. Then he lost to Caudron in the quarterfinal, which is not a damaging result because Caudron was on a championship run.

Heo’s rise from No. 21 to No. 12 is huge. He is now close to the top 10, and his win profile shows he can hurt elite players.

Verdict: Heo is no longer just a mid-table threat. He is entering the Tier 1 conversation.

3. Tier 2: Movers, Fallers, and Pressure Players

Kiraz T. — Massive ranking climb

Before: No. 28 — 1474

After: No. 18 — 1546

Movement: +72 ELO

Kiraz had one of the biggest ranking gains in the top 30. He reached the L16 and nearly beat Tasdemir, losing 49–50. That match matters because even in defeat he showed he could compete with a much higher-tier player.

A +72 ELO rise is not noise. That is a real jump.

Verdict: Kiraz is a strong Tier 2 riser and should be watched closely.

Garcia J.J. — Quiet positive movement

Before: No. 29 — 1473

After: No. 22 — 1512

Movement: +39 ELO

Garcia did not become a headline player, but his ELO movement is strong. Moving from No. 29 to No. 22 puts him closer to the Tier 1 border.

Verdict: Not yet a major threat, but the ranking trend is positive.

Polychronopoulos N. — Positive despite losing to Zanetti

Before: No. 20 — 1547

After: No. 15 — 1566

Movement: +19 ELO

Polychronopoulos moved up five ranking spots. His L16 loss to Zanetti was expected from an ELO perspective, so the damage was controlled. His earlier work was enough to leave the event positive.

Verdict: Good tournament. Needs one elite win to become a bigger story.

Bao P.V. — Small gain, painful near miss

Before: No. 18 — 1560

After: No. 14 — 1571

Movement: +11 ELO

L16: Lost to Thai 47–50

Bao moved up, but the Thai loss hurts because it was close and it opened the door for Thai’s run. If Bao wins that match, the Tier 1 story might be completely different.

Verdict: Positive movement, but missed a major opportunity.

Hofman G. — Biggest top-30 fall

Before: No. 12 — 1604

After: No. 20 — 1528

Movement: -76 ELO

This is the harshest drop in the top 30.

Hofman fell eight ranking spots and lost major ELO territory. This is exactly what ELO exposes: if a player is ranked high but does not protect results, the table corrects fast.

Verdict: This was a damaging tournament. Hofman needs a recovery run soon or he falls out of the serious Tier 1 conversation.

Choi W.Y. — Heavy damage

Before: No. 16 — 1566

After: No. 24 — 1496

Movement: -70 ELO

Choi dropped hard. Falling below 1500 after being inside the top 16 is a major warning sign.

Verdict: Ranking pressure is now serious. The next event becomes about stopping the slide.

Kim H.J. — From No. 11 to No. 19

Before: No. 11 — 1607

After: No. 19 — 1544

Movement: -63 ELO

Kim H.J. lost the chance to stay near the top 10. The drop from No. 11 to No. 19 is severe because the middle of the table is crowded. Once you fall into that zone, climbing back is difficult.

Verdict: Bad event. Needs immediate rebound.

4. Biggest ELO Winners

Player	Before	After	ELO Change	Rank Change
Caudron F.	1681	1784	+103	No. 6 → No. 2
Kiraz T.	1474	1546	+72	No. 28 → No. 18
Thai H.C.	1557	1622	+65	No. 19 → No. 10
Heo J.H.	1542	1607	+65	No. 21 → No. 12
Zanetti M.	1685	1735	+50	No. 5 → No. 3
Garcia J.J.	1473	1512	+39	No. 29 → No. 22

The cleanest winner is Caudron. The most important breakout is Thai. The best hidden rise is Kiraz. The most dangerous new Tier 1 player is Heo.

5. Biggest ELO Losers

Player	Before	After	ELO Change	Rank Change
Hofman G.	1604	1528	-76	No. 12 → No. 20
Choi W.Y.	1566	1496	-70	No. 16 → No. 24
Kim H.J.	1607	1544	-63	No. 11 → No. 19
Sidhom S.	1763	1716	-47	No. 2 → No. 4
Ceulemans P.	1569	1525	-44	No. 15 → No. 21
Karakurt B.	1731	1702	-29	No. 3 → No. 6

The biggest elite loser is Sidhom, because he lost the No. 2 position.The biggest overall damage is Hofman, because he dropped out of the upper Tier 1 area.

6. Rivalry and Power Shifts

Cho vs Caudron — The new No. 1 battle

This is now the main ELO storyline.

Before Ho Chi Minh City:

• Cho: 1815

• Caudron: 1681

• Gap: 134 points

After Ho Chi Minh City:

• Cho: 1799

• Caudron: 1784

• Gap: 15 points

That is massive. Caudron erased almost the entire gap in one tournament.

Storyline: Cho is still No. 1, but Caudron now controls the pressure.

Caudron vs Zanetti — Semifinal changed the podium

Caudron’s semifinal win over Zanetti was one of the most important matches of the tournament. It moved Caudron ahead of Zanetti and helped him jump to No. 2.

Zanetti still had a strong event, but Caudron took the bigger prize: tournament title, ELO explosion, and No. 2 ranking.

Storyline: Zanetti rose. Caudron passed him.

Thai vs the elite — A new danger matchup

Thai beat both:

• Jaspers

• Merckx

That is not normal Tier 2 movement. That is a player proving he can beat elite names in elimination rounds.

The final loss to Caudron was heavy, but Thai’s tournament was still a breakthrough.

Storyline: Thai is now a problem for top-tier players.

Heo vs Karakurt — The upset that damaged the top 3

Heo’s win over Karakurt was one of the biggest ranking-impact matches. Karakurt entered as a top-three player. Heo took the match and took the points.

That single result pushed Karakurt backward and pushed Heo toward the top 12.

Storyline: Heo attacked the elite wall and broke through.

7. Final CaromWorld Verdict

Ho Chi Minh City 2026 changed the ELO map in three major ways.

First, Cho stayed No. 1, but lost safety. His ELO lead is now thin. He is still the king, but he is no longer protected by a large gap.

Second, Caudron became the immediate challenger. This was not a small ranking rise. It was a full power move: champion, +103 ELO, No. 2 in the world, and only 15 points behind Cho.

Third, Tier 1 became more crowded and more dangerous. Thai and Heo both made major jumps. Zanetti strengthened his podium position. Sidhom, Karakurt, Merckx, Jaspers, and Horn all left with pressure.

The tournament created a new ELO reality:

Top Tier is no longer Cho alone at the top. It is Cho under attack by Caudron, with Zanetti close enough to punish any mistake.

This is exactly the kind of ranking shift that makes the next World Cup more important.