Praggnanandhaa Overtakes Giri in Ratings, Inspires Jocular Remark From Dutch Grandmaster

Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri, known for his insightful commentary, sparked a debate in the chess community with a playful reaction to R Praggnanandhaa becoming the world's top-ranked junior player.

Giri, currently ranked world No. 10 with a live rating of 2748.0, quipped: "Chess juniors nowadays have to be at least U16, keeping track of U20 players is totally pointless." His remark subtly acknowledged the rapid rise of young chess prodigies who are already challenging established players in the senior world rankings.

This comment came on the heels of Praggnanandhaa's impressive victory at the UzChess Cup Masters 2025 in Uzbekistan. This win propelled the 19-year-old's live rating to 2778.3, placing him among the world's elite and making him India's highest-rated chess player, surpassing even D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi.

Praggnanandhaa's path to victory was filled with drama. He began the final day trailing Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov, but a crucial win against Abdusattorov in the last classical round forced a three-way tie.

Showing remarkable composure, Praggnanandhaa triumphed in the blitz tiebreaks, securing the tournament win in the second set of rapid games. This victory marks his third major classical title of the year.

Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand praised the young grandmaster's resilience, commenting, "This win seemed the least likely with just two rounds to go… An impressive demonstration of character.”

This UzChess Cup victory adds to Praggnanandhaa's impressive 2025 achievements, which include wins at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament and the Superbet Classic in Romania. He also recently secured the runner-up position at the Stepan Avagyan Memorial.

While Giri's remark was lighthearted, Praggnanandhaa's recent performance underscores a significant shift in the chess world. The future of chess is undeniably here, and it's flourishing in India.