19-year-old Indian Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa has made history by winning the UzChess Cup Masters tournament. With this big win, he is now officially India’s No.1 chess player.
In the final round, Praggnanandhaa defeated Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov while playing with the black pieces. This victory not only gave him the title but also marked a proud moment for Indian chess.
After this win, his live chess rating rose to 2778.3, which puts him at World No. 4 — his highest-ever ranking. This also means he has now gone ahead of D Gukesh, the current world chess champion, in live classical ratings.
Praggnanandhaa has had an amazing year in 2025. Earlier, he shocked the world by beating Gukesh at the Tata Steel Masters in the Netherlands.
But Thursday’s victory is even more special. He didn’t just win a top international tournament — he proved that he is now leading Indian chess. It’s a big moment, showing a new generation taking over in the sport.
🚨 BREAKING: Pragg is the champion of 2nd #UzChessCup! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/QuPxFfIzN9
— Chess.com – India (@chesscom_in) June 27, 2025
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Praggnanandhaa’s journey is impressive. He plays with a lot of calmness, strong skills, and deep knowledge of the game — rare for someone his age.
Now, as one of the top 5 players in the world and India’s highest-ranked player, he is not just following the path of legends like Viswanathan Anand — he is creating his own.
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A new era of Indian chess has begun, and Praggnanandhaa is leading the way.
