Praggnanandhaa's Ascent to Top Junior Sparks Witty Reaction from Chess Star Giri

Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri, known for his wit, stirred up the chess community with a humorous reaction to R Praggnanandhaa becoming the world's top-ranked junior player.

"Keeping track of U20 players is totally pointless," quipped Giri, currently ranked world no. 10 with a live rating of 2748.0. His remark subtly acknowledged the exceptional talent of today's young chess players, who are rapidly climbing the senior world rankings.

This comment followed the 19-year-old Praggnanandhaa's impressive victory at the UzChess Cup Masters 2025 in Uzbekistan. This win propelled him to a live rating of 2778.3, making him the World No. 4 overall and surpassing everyone to become India's highest-rated chess player.

He overtook World Champion D Gukesh (2776.6) and Arjun Erigaisi (2775.7) in the rankings, signifying a shift in the Indian chess landscape.

Praggnanandhaa's path to victory was dramatic. He began the final day trailing Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov but secured a critical win against Abdusattorov in the last classical round, forcing a three-way tie.

In the blitz tiebreaks, Praggnanandhaa demonstrated remarkable composure, ultimately winning the tournament in the second set of rapid games. This victory marked his third major classical title of the year.

Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand praised the young player, 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 impressive 2025 achievements, which include wins at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament and the Superbet Classic in Romania. He also recently secured second place at the Stepan Avagyan Memorial.

While Giri's comment was lighthearted, Praggnanandhaa's recent performance underscores a significant trend: the future of world chess is here, and India is at the forefront.