Praggnanandhaa Overtakes Gukesh as India's Top Chess Player; Giri's "Pointless" Remark Sparks Debate

Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri, known for his wit, ignited a lively debate within the chess community following 19-year-old R Praggnanandhaa's ascent to the World No. 1 junior ranking.

Giri, currently ranked world no. 10 with a live rating of 2748.0, quipped, "Chess juniors nowadays have to be at least U16, keeping track of U20 players is totally pointless." His remark subtly acknowledged the exceptional talent emerging at a young age, challenging the established hierarchy in the chess world.

Praggnanandhaa's achievement was fueled by a stunning victory at the UzChess Cup Masters 2025 in Uzbekistan. This win propelled him to a live rating of 2778.3, making him World No.4 overall and surpassing even D Gukesh to become India's highest-rated chess player.

He overtook both World Champion D Gukesh (2776.6) and Arjun Erigaisi (2775.7), marking a significant shift in the Indian chess landscape.

Praggnanandhaa's path to victory was filled with suspense. Entering the final day trailing Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov, he secured a critical win against Abdusattorov in the last classical round, creating a three-way tie.

Showing remarkable composure, Praggnanandhaa emerged victorious in the blitz tiebreaks, clinching the tournament in the second set of rapid games, marking his third major classical title this year.

Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand lauded the young prodigy, stating, "This win seemed the least likely with just two rounds to go… An impressive demonstration of character."

This UzChess Cup title adds to Praggnanandhaa's impressive 2025 record, which includes wins at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament and the Superbet Classic in Romania. He also recently secured the runner-up position at the Stepan Avagyan Memorial.

Despite Giri's playful comment on junior rankings, Praggnanandhaa's success unequivocally demonstrates that the future of chess is here, and it's flourishing in India.