Latest news with #UzbekistanChessFederation
Hindustan Times
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
R Praggnanandhaa overtakes D Gukesh in world chess rankings, reigning world champion is now India No. 3
Jun 21, 2025 08:10 AM IST In a major change in the standings, R Praggnanandhaa has overtaken reigning world champion D Gukesh in the live FIDE rankings. On Saturday, Praggnanandhaa's live rating stood at 2777.2 and Gukesh's is at 2776.6. Meanwhile, Arjun Erigaisi, who had already overtaken Gukesh recently, is fourth with a rating of 2780.7. R Praggnanandhaa has overtaken D Gukesh in the world chess rankings.(Twitter) The huge change in the rankings also makes Praggnanandhaa the new India No. 2, and Gukesh is third in the national rankings. Praggnanandhaa is currently in action in the UzChess Cup Masters in Tashkent, hosted by the Uzbekistan Chess Federation. Praggnanandhaa drew in the first round and then got his first win in Round 2, beating Uzbek Shamsiddin Vokhidov with the white pieces. He leads the tournament leaderboard with 1.5 points, tied with Erigaisi and others. Praggnanandhaa also beat Gukesh at the TATA Masters in Wijk aan Zee, on January. He came out on top, beating Gukesh in the deciding tie-breaker round. After winning the title, he said, 'It (the title) was very important for my confidence. Quite a few World champions have played in the tournament. I feel proud to have won such a prestigious and historical championships. In the second half of 2024, I was not happy with the quality of my games. I trained a lot with my coach R. B. Ramesh for this. I am not thinking of the FIDE Candidates as it is far away. 2025 looks exciting.' On beating Gukesh, he added, 'It was full of tension. We lost to strong players [Pragg lost to Vincent Keymer while Gukesh lost to Arjun Erigaisi in the 13th and final round]. The tiebreaker was exciting. It was tiring as well I had played six-and-a-half hours of classical game and with 30 minutes of rest had to play the blitz playoffs. These were risky games as each had 10 seconds to make a move. I couldn't think of anything.' Stay updated with the latest sports news, including latest headlines and updates from the Olympics 2024, where Indian athletes will compete for glory in Paris. Catch all the action from tennis Grand Slam tournaments, follow your favourite football teams and players with the latest match results, and get the latest on international hockey tournaments and series.
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Historic! R Praggnanandhaa surpasses world champion D Gukesh in world chess rankings; all you need to know
R Praggnanandhaa and D Gukesh (Agency Photo) NEW DELHI: In a major milestone for Indian chess, R Praggnanandhaa has leapfrogged reigning world champion D Gukesh in the live FIDE rankings, marking a significant personal and national achievement. As of Saturday, Praggnanandhaa's live rating climbed to 2777.2, nudging past Gukesh's 2776.6. The 19-year-old prodigy is currently competing in the UzChess Cup Masters in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, a prestigious event hosted by the Uzbekistan Chess Federation that's quickly gaining global attention. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! After a draw in the opening round, Praggnanandhaa bounced back in style in Round 2, defeating Uzbekistan's Shamsiddin Vokhidov with the white pieces. World's top 10 in live rankings (Photo: He now leads the tournament standings with 1.5 points, tied with fellow Indian Arjun Erigaisi and others. Praggnanandhaa's rise in the rankings is part of a broader Indian surge in world chess. Poll Do you believe India is experiencing a golden generation in chess? Yes, absolutely Maybe, it's possible No, it's too early to say Recently, India had four players in the global top 10 live ratings — Praggnanandhaa, Gukesh, Arjun, and the newly crowned Aravindh Chithambaram, who clinched the title at the 6th Stepan Avagyan Memorial in Armenia. In that tightly contested event, Aravindh and Praggnanandhaa both scored 6.5/9, but Aravindh claimed the top spot on tie-break. ALSO READ: ' If there were chess tournaments in Bangladesh, why would I come to India?': 80-year-old Rani Hamid The two, who train together under coach RB Ramesh, pushed each other throughout the event. 'It was a good tournament for me,' Praggnanandhaa reflected, 'but I missed that one chance in Round 2... That win would've made the difference.' Despite that, Praggnanandhaa's consistent brilliance and recent form have now elevated him above even the world champion, a remarkable feat for a player still in his teens. With India's young guns dominating international chess and pushing each other to new heights, a golden generation may already be here. Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
