Historic! R Praggnanandhaa surpasses world champion D Gukesh in world chess rankings; all you need to know

NEW DELHI: In a major milestone for Indian chess, R Praggnanandhaa has leapfrogged reigning world champion D Gukesh in the live FIDE rankings, marking a significant personal and national achievement.

As of Saturday, Praggnanandhaa’s live rating climbed to 2777.2, nudging past Gukesh’s 2776.6.

The 19-year-old prodigy is currently competing in the UzChess Cup Masters in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, a prestigious event hosted by the Uzbekistan Chess Federation that’s quickly gaining global attention.

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After a draw in the opening round, Praggnanandhaa bounced back in style in Round 2, defeating Uzbekistan’s Shamsiddin Vokhidov with the white pieces.

He now leads the tournament standings with 1.5 points, tied with fellow Indian Arjun Erigaisi and others.

Praggnanandhaa’s rise in the rankings is part of a broader Indian surge in world chess.


Recently, India had four players in the global top 10 live ratings — Praggnanandhaa, Gukesh, Arjun, and the newly crowned Aravindh Chithambaram, who clinched the title at the 6th Stepan Avagyan Memorial in Armenia.

In that tightly contested event, Aravindh and Praggnanandhaa both scored 6.5/9, but Aravindh claimed the top spot on tie-break.

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The two, who train together under coach RB Ramesh, pushed each other throughout the event. “It was a good tournament for me,” Praggnanandhaa reflected, “but I missed that one chance in Round 2... That win would’ve made the difference.”

Despite that, Praggnanandhaa’s consistent brilliance and recent form have now elevated him above even the world champion, a remarkable feat for a player still in his teens.

With India’s young guns dominating international chess and pushing each other to new heights, a golden generation may already be here.

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