R Praggnanandhaa Rises to India No. 1 in Live Chess Rankings, D Gukesh Slips to Second

R Praggnanandhaa has become the new India No. 1 in classical chess after clinching the UzChess Cup Masters title in style. The 19-year-old defeated Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov with the Black pieces in the final round to secure the crown.

With this victory, Praggnanandhaa has soared to No. 4 in the live world rankings with an Elo rating of 2778.3. He is now ahead of fellow Indian GMs D Gukesh (2776.6), who ranks fifth, and Arjun Erigaisi (2775.7), who is in sixth. Reigning world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen of Norway continues to lead with a rating of 2839.2, followed by Americans Hikaru Nakamura (2807) and Fabiano Caruana (2784.2).

Former world champion Viswanathan Anand, who now sits at 13th globally with a rating of 2743.0, is currently India’s No. 4. Aravindh Chithambaram follows as India No. 5, ranked 24th in the world with a rating of 2724.0.

Anand praised Praggnanandhaa’s achievement on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “Of all his wins this year, this one seemed the least likely with just two rounds to go. However, he defeated Arjun Erigaisi yesterday and today in the crucial match against Abdusattorov to tie for first place. In an impressive display of character, he went on to win his third tiebreak of the year. He is deservedly the new number four in the world and the highest-rated Indian player.”

Praggnanandhaa’s coach, RB Ramesh, told *The Indian Express* that a more aggressive approach has been key to the teen’s rise. “Pragg is naturally strong in attacking positions, but earlier this year he was playing a bit too safely. We talked about it, and he started taking more risks. That shift is clearly paying off,” Ramesh said.

He also credited GM Vaibhav Suri, who has been working behind the scenes as Praggnanandhaa’s second. “Vaibhav has been part of the team for a while, but we only recently made his involvement public. He’s now traveling with Pragg for tournaments, and that support has made a big difference,” said Ramesh. “It helps to have someone close who truly believes in you, especially during tough moments. It makes it easier to keep the faith.”

With this milestone, Praggnanandhaa not only cements his place among the world’s elite but also signals the arrival of a new generation of Indian chess talent.