Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, the 19-year-old Indian chess grandmaster, has recently achieved a significant milestone in his burgeoning career, becoming India's No. 1 chess player. This accomplishment comes on the heels of his victory at the UzChess Cup Masters 2025 in Uzbekistan, where he defeated Nodirbek Abdusattorov in the final round.
Praggnanandhaa's rise to the top has been meteoric. His UzChess Cup triumph propelled his live rating to 2778.3, placing him at World No. 4 in the live classical ratings. In doing so, he surpassed not only his compatriots, D. Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi, but also several other world-class players. Magnus Carlsen (2839.2) and American GMs Hikaru Nakamura (2807) and Fabiano Caruana (2784.2) still hold the top three positions in the live rankings.
Despite the excitement surrounding his new ranking, Praggnanandhaa remains grounded. In a recent interview, he downplayed the significance of being India's top player, stating, "This India number one can change every game. I don't think it matters who's India number one right now. I don't think it really matters". For him, winning the UzChess Cup was more important than the ranking itself. He recognizes the fluidity of the rankings and focuses on the bigger picture of continuous improvement and success in tournaments.
Praggnanandhaa's coach, RB Ramesh, revealed that they had worked on making Praggnanandhaa play more aggressively. According to Ramesh, Praggnanandhaa was playing too solidly in 2024, so they discussed being more adventurous. Ramesh also revealed that Vaibhav Suri has been helping Praggnanandhaa for longer than this year, and that it's good to have someone who believes in you during tournaments.
The young Grandmaster's recent success is not an isolated event but rather the culmination of consistent hard work and dedication. 2025 has been a particularly fruitful year for him, with victories at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee and the Superbet Chess Classic in Romania, in addition to the UzChess Cup Masters title. He also finished as runner-up at the Stepan Avagyan Memorial. These achievements demonstrate his ability to perform under pressure and his growing maturity as a chess player.
Viswanathan Anand, India's first grandmaster and a five-time world champion, has been a source of support and inspiration for Praggnanandhaa. Anand congratulated Praggnanandhaa on his UzChess Cup victory, acknowledging the unlikelihood of the win with just two rounds to go. Praggnanandhaa expressed his gratitude to Anand, stating that the win "felt special" coming from him.
Looking ahead, Praggnanandhaa aims to continue improving and competing at the highest level. When asked about the possibility of an Indian player competing against Gukesh in the next World Championship, Praggnanandhaa expressed his hope and commitment to giving his best. He recognizes the strength of other Indian players like Arjun Erigaisi and Aravindh Chithambaram, emphasizing the good chances for Indian representation on the world stage.
Praggnanandhaa's achievements, along with the rise of other young Indian chess players, signal a new era for chess in the country. With his focus on continuous improvement and performance, the young Grandmaster is poised to make even greater strides in the years to come.
