Praggnanandhaa Overtakes Giri in Rankings, Sparks Witty Response From Dutch Chess Star

Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri, known for his sharp wit, ignited a flurry of online discussion with his humorous reaction to R Praggnanandhaa becoming the world's top-ranked junior chess player.

"Chess juniors nowadays have to be at least U16, 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 acknowledges the impressive rise of young chess prodigies who are already making waves in the senior ranks.

The comment came on the heels of Praggnanandhaa's sensational victory at the UzChess Cup Masters 2025 in Uzbekistan. This win propelled the 19-year-old to a live rating of 2778.3, briefly making him the World No.4 overall and, significantly, India's highest-rated chess player. He surpassed established stars like World Champion D Gukesh (2776.6) and Arjun Erigaisi (2775.7), marking a shift in the Indian chess landscape.

Praggnanandhaa's path to victory was filled with drama. He started the final day trailing Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov. However, a critical win against Abdusattorov in the last classical round forced a three-way tie. In the ensuing blitz tiebreaks, Praggnanandhaa displayed remarkable composure, ultimately securing the tournament victory in the second set of rapid games. This marked his third major classical title this year.

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

This UzChess Cup triumph adds to Praggnanandhaa's impressive 2025 achievements, which include victories 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 offers a lighthearted perspective on junior rankings, Praggnanandhaa's recent success underscores a clear message: the future of world chess is already here, and India is at the forefront.