Praggnanandhaa's Surge to Top Junior Spot Sparks Debate, Earns Praise From Anand

Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri, known for his sharp wit, ignited a flurry of discussion within the chess community following R Praggnanandhaa's ascent to the top of the junior chess rankings.

Giri, currently ranked world no. 10 with a live rating of 2748.0, cheekily remarked, "Chess juniors nowadays have to be at least U16, keeping track of U20 players is totally pointless." His comment subtly acknowledged the exceptional talent emerging at increasingly younger ages, directly challenging the established norms of senior chess.

The statement followed the 19-year-old Praggnanandhaa's impressive victory at the UzChess Cup Masters 2025 in Uzbekistan. This win boosted his live rating to 2778.3, positioning him as World No.4 overall. More significantly, he surpassed established players to become India’s highest-rated chess player.

This landmark achievement saw him overtake World Champion D Gukesh (2776.6) and Arjun Erigaisi (2775.7) in the Indian rankings.

Praggnanandhaa's path to victory was a hard-fought battle. He began the final day trailing behind Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov. A critical win against Abdusattorov in the last classical round forced a three-way tie. Displaying remarkable composure, Praggnanandhaa triumphed in the blitz tiebreaks, securing the tournament win in the second set of rapid games, marking his third major classical title this year.

Viswanathan Anand, a five-time world champion, lauded the young player's achievement, stating, "This win seemed the least likely with just two rounds to go… An impressive demonstration of character."

The UzChess Cup adds to Praggnanandhaa's already impressive 2025 season, which includes wins at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament and the Superbet Classic in Romania. He also secured a runner-up position at the Stepan Avagyan Memorial.

While Giri's comment injected a playful tone into the discussion of junior rankings, Praggnanandhaa's recent success underscores a vital point: the future of chess is rapidly evolving, with India at the forefront of this change.