Giri's Jocular Take: Praggnanandhaa Ascends to World's Top Junior Chess Rank After UzChess Cup Triumph

Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri, known for his sharp wit, sparked a buzz in the chess community with his humorous reaction to R Praggnanandhaa achieving the World No. 1 junior ranking.

"Keeping track of U20 players is totally pointless," the 31-year-old Giri, currently ranked World No. 10 with a live rating of 2748.0, quipped. His comment alluded to the exceptional talent emerging at a young age, challenging established players in the top echelons of chess.

Giri's remark followed Praggnanandhaa's impressive victory at the UzChess Cup Masters 2025 in Uzbekistan. This win propelled the 19-year-old to a live rating of 2778.3, making him the World No. 4 overall and surpassing legends to become India's highest-rated chess player.

He overtook World Champion D Gukesh (2776.6) and Arjun Erigaisi (2775.7), marking a significant shift in the Indian chess landscape.

Praggnanandhaa's path to victory was a thrilling narrative. Entering the final day trailing Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov, he secured a crucial win against Abdusattorov in the last classical round, forcing a three-way tie.

In the intense blitz tiebreaks, Praggnanandhaa demonstrated remarkable composure, ultimately clinching the tournament in the second set of rapid games. This victory marks his third major classical title of the year.

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

With the UzChess Cup title, Praggnanandhaa adds to his 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 playfully minimizes the importance of junior rankings, Praggnanandhaa's performance underscores a clear reality: the future of world chess is here, and it is flourishing in India.