R Praggnanandhaa, the prodigious chess talent from Chennai, has overtaken reigning world champion D Gukesh in the live FIDE world rankings, marking a significant shift in Indian chess hierarchy. The development makes Praggnanandhaa the new India No. 2 while relegating Gukesh to third position nationally.

As of Saturday, Praggnanandhaa’s live rating stood at 2777.2, narrowly eclipsing Gukesh’s 2776.6. Arjun Erigaisi, continuing his meteoric rise, remained the top-ranked Indian with 2780.7.

The 18-year-old Praggnanandhaa is currently competing at the UzChess Cup Masters in Tashkent, where he secured a draw in the opening round before registering a victory in the second against local favourite Shamsiddin Vokhidov. The Indian now jointly leads the tournament standings with 1.5 points alongside Erigaisi and others.

His ascension in the rankings comes on the back of recent strong performances, including a memorable win against Gukesh earlier this year at the prestigious TATA Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee. Praggnanandhaa clinched the title after prevailing in a nerve-racking tiebreaker, which he described as “full of tension.”

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“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 championship,” he told reporters after the victory. Reflecting on his training, he added, “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 the emotional and physical strain of the blitz playoffs following a long classical game, he said, “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.”

With the Candidates cycle still some distance away, Praggnanandhaa’s focus remains on consistent improvement and tournament play. His recent elevation in the rankings is a testament to his resilience and the fierce competitiveness of Indian chess on the world stage.