Gukesh Rises to Career-High No. 3, Praggnanandhaa Returns to Top 10 in FIDE Rankings
India's chess prodigy D. Gukesh has achieved a career-high ranking of World No. 3 in the latest FIDE classical chess ratings released on Saturday.
Gukesh Becomes World No. 3 in FIDE Rankings
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New Delhi: India’s chess prodigy D. Gukesh has achieved a career-high ranking of World No. 3 in the latest FIDE classical chess ratings released on Saturday. His remarkable climb continues as he cements his position among the world’s best, overtaking Arjun Erigaisi and American Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana.
The 18-year-old chess sensation gained 10 rating points, reaching 2787, making him the highest-ranked Indian player. He now trails only World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura (2802) and long-time leader Magnus Carlsen (2833).
Gukesh’s meteoric rise follows his historic victory over Ding Liren in the World Chess Championship final in December. Despite a narrow tiebreak loss to Praggnanandhaa at the Tata Steel Masters in Wijk aan Zee, he has maintained an upward trajectory in his rankings.
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Praggnanandhaa Re-Enters the Top 10
Another major boost for Indian chess came with R. Praggnanandhaa’s return to the top 10 in the FIDE rankings. His impressive Tata Steel Masters victory earned him 17 rating points, elevating him to World No. 8 with a 2758 rating.
The 18-year-old Grandmaster is currently competing in the Prague Masters, aiming to further improve his ranking. Meanwhile, Arjun Erigaisi, who was previously the highest-ranked Indian player, has slipped to World No. 5 with a 2777 rating.
Indian Women in FIDE Rankings
In the women’s FIDE rankings, Koneru Humpy continues to be India’s top-ranked female player at World No. 6 with a 2528 rating. Other notable Indian players include:
- R. Vaishali (World No. 14, 2484 rating)
- Harika Dronavalli (World No. 16, 2483 rating)
Upcoming Challenge: Norway Chess 2025
The chess world now eagerly anticipates the Norway Chess tournament, scheduled to be held in Stavanger, Norway, from May 26 to June 6, 2025. The prestigious event will feature some of the best players in the world, including:
- Magnus Carlsen (World No. 1)
- Hikaru Nakamura (World No. 2)
- D. Gukesh (World No. 3)
- Fabiano Caruana (World No. 4)
- Arjun Erigaisi (World No. 5)
- R. Praggnanandhaa (World No. 8)
Indian fans will be excited to see Arjun Erigaisi and China’s No.1 Wei Yi making their Norway Chess debuts. With India’s rising dominance in the chess world, Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa’s performances will be closely followed.
