Giri's Jesting Remark Highlights Praggnanandhaa's Chess Dominance: Young Star Briefly Overtakes Anand as India's Top Player

Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri, known for his sharp wit, sparked a lively debate within the chess community following 19-year-old 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, playfully commented, "Chess juniors nowadays have to be at least U16, keeping track of U20 players is totally pointless." This remark subtly acknowledges the exceptional talent emerging at increasingly younger ages, directly challenging the established order in senior chess.

Praggnanandhaa's recent victory at the UzChess Cup Masters 2025 in Uzbekistan fueled Giri's reaction. This win catapulted Praggnanandhaa to a live rating of 2778.3, briefly making him the World No. 4 overall and India's highest-rated player, surpassing even D Gukesh (2776.6) and Arjun Erigaisi (2775.7).

Praggnanandhaa's path to victory was hard-fought. He secured a crucial win against Nodirbek Abdusattorov in the final classical round, forcing a three-way tie after initially trailing behind both Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov. He then displayed remarkable composure in the blitz tiebreaks, ultimately clinching the title in the second set of rapid games, marking his third major classical title this year.

Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand lauded 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, including victories at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament and the Superbet Classic in Romania. He also recently secured a runner-up finish at the Stepan Avagyan Memorial.

While Giri's comment might seem like a lighthearted jab at the significance of junior rankings, Praggnanandhaa's performance speaks volumes. The rise of young talents like Praggnanandhaa signals a paradigm shift. The future of world chess is not just on the horizon; it's already here, and India is at the forefront.