Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa has become India’s top-ranked chess player in the live ratings after clinching the UzChess Cup Masters 2025 title in Tashkent on Friday. The 19-year-old’s impressive victory lifted his live rating to 2778.3, propelling him to World No. 4 — his highest career ranking to date.
With this jump, Praggnanandhaa has overtaken both reigning world champion D Gukesh (2776.6) and Arjun Erigaisi (2775.7), who held the top Indian spot until Thursday but has now slipped to World No. 6.
The global rankings continue to be led by Magnus Carlsen (2839.2), followed by Hikaru Nakamura (2807.0) and Fabiano Caruana (2784.2).
This milestone marks a significant moment in Indian chess, as Praggnanandhaa solidifies his place among the world’s elite while still in his teens. Indian Grandmaster (GM) Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa made global headlines in February 2022 when he defeated world number one Magnus Carlsen of Norway in the eighth round of the Airthings Masters rapid online chess tournament. This remarkable win placed the young prodigy firmly on the international chess map.
Born on August 10, 2005, in Tamil Nadu, Praggnanandhaa is among the youngest players to ever achieve the title of Grandmaster. He became the fifth-youngest Grandmaster in history, following Abhimanyu Mishra, Sergey Karjakin, Gukesh D, and Javokhir Sindarov.
Hailing from Chennai, Praggnanandhaa is the younger brother of Vaishali Rameshbabu, herself a celebrated chess player and two-time youth champion. The siblings have made a name for themselves as a formidable duo in Indian chess.
Praggnanandhaa trains rigorously for 4 to 5 hours daily and is coached by renowned chess trainer R.B. Ramesh. He draws inspiration from Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand and Norwegian champion Magnus Carlsen, whom he has already managed to defeat on multiple occasions.
His rise continues to inspire a new generation of Indian chess players, reaffirming India’s growing dominance in the global chess arena.