Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, the 19-year-old Indian chess grandmaster, has achieved a historic milestone, becoming India's top-ranked player in live chess ratings. This feat was accomplished after a stunning victory at the UzChess Cup Masters 2025 in Tashkent. Praggnanandhaa's impressive performance propelled his live rating to 2778.3, placing him fourth in the world rankings.

Praggnanandhaa's rise to the top spot in India involved surpassing the reigning world champion D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi, both of whom are also highly-rated players. Gukesh now holds the fifth position in the world with a rating of 2776.6, while Erigaisi is sixth with 2775.7. The global top three are currently Magnus Carlsen (2839.2), Hikaru Nakamura (2807.0), and Fabiano Caruana (2784.2).

The UzChess Cup Masters victory was hard-earned. Praggnanandhaa ended the round-robin stage tied with Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov at 5.5 points. He then demonstrated exceptional skill and composure in the tie-breaks, ultimately securing the title. In the final round, Praggnanandhaa defeated Abdusattorov with black pieces, which was crucial for his victory.

Viswanathan Anand, the five-time world champion, praised Praggnanandhaa's achievement on social media, calling the Uzbekistan victory the "least likely" of his wins this year, especially considering he was trailing with only two rounds remaining. Anand also lauded Praggnanandhaa's character and noted that he is deservedly the new number four in the chess world and the highest-rated player in India. Praggnanandhaa responded to Anand's praise, expressing his gratitude for the support and inspiration. He acknowledged that this win felt particularly special.

This victory marks Praggnanandhaa's third major classical title in 2025. He previously won the Tata Steel Chess Tournament and the Grand Chess Tour Superbet Classic Romania. He also secured a second-place finish at the Stepan Avagyan Memorial earlier in June. His recent successes highlight his growing dominance in the chess world and his ability to perform under pressure.

RB Ramesh, Praggnanandhaa's longtime coach, revealed that they had worked on making his play more adventurous after feeling that he was playing too solidly in 2024. Ramesh also noted that Vaibhav Suri's assistance as Praggnanandhaa's second has been beneficial.

Praggnanandhaa's achievements, including his previous victory over D Gukesh at the Tata Steel Masters 2025, and his overall performance in various tournaments, demonstrate his potential to become a leading figure in the world of chess. His dedication, combined with the support of his coach and mentor, have paved the way for his success. As he prepares for his next challenge at the SuperUnited Croatia Rapid & Blitz tournament, the chess world will be watching closely to see what he accomplishes next.