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Business Honor
21 June, 2025
The rising Indian chess star sets sights on the 2026 Candidates Tournament after remarkable victories.
India's chess arena is getting more intense as young Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa has moved ahead of Gukesh Dommaraju in the live FIDE rankings, opening a new chapter to their growing rivalry. As of June 20, as per 2700chess.com, Praggnanandhaa is ranked fifth in the world with a rating of 2777.2, a little ahead of Gukesh, who is now sixth with 2776.6.
Even with this outstanding jump, Praggnanandhaa is not yet India's No. 1. That position is now held by Arjun Erigaisi, who is ranked number four in the world with a rating of 2780.7. Both players are under 21 years of age, demonstrating India's remarkable surge in international chess.
Praggnanandhaa, just 18 years old, from Chennai, is one of India's top young talents. In a remarkable achievement earlier this year, he became the second Indian in history after Viswanathan Anand to capture the prestigious Tata Steel Chess tournament.
Now that his target is defined: qualify for the 2026 Candidates Tournament, which leads to the World Chess Championship. "This year is all about qualifying for the Candidates Tournament next year," he explained in a special interview.
His recent play at the UzChess Cup Masters in Tashkent shows how determined he is. After a Round 1 draw, Praggnanandhaa won convincingly against Uzbekistan's Shamsiddin Vokhidov in Round 2. He now tops the tournament along with Arjun Erigaisi and others with 1.5 points.
With every game, Praggnanandhaa is showing himself as a serious contender for the chess throne, and the friendly rivalry with Gukesh is only nudging both of them towards greater heights.