Arjun Erigaisi surpasses Viswanathan Anand to become India's no 1 chess player

Koneru Humpy stands tall as India’s no.1 female chess player.
Arjun Erigaisi has officially become India’s top-ranked chess player according to the latest FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Échecs) list. This milestone places him ahead of legendary players and marks his debut in the world’s top 10.
At just 21 years old, Arjun Erigaisi has made waves in the chess world. His impressive performance in the 5th Shengzhen Chess Masters and the Bundesliga earned him eight crucial rating points, propelling him to the ninth position globally. With a standard rating of 2756, he now stands as India’s premier chess talent.
Following closely behind Erigaisi is the iconic Viswanathan Anand, a five-time world champion. Anand’s rating of 2751 places him as the second-highest-ranked Indian player. Meanwhile, Praggnanandhaa holds the 14th position with a rating of 2747, and Gukesh sits at 16th with 2743 points. The experienced Vidit Santosh Gujrathi rounds out the Indian contingent at 25th with a rating of 2727.
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Despite the Indian surge, former world champion Magnus Carlsen remains at the pinnacle with an impressive rating of 2830. The American duo of Fabiano Caruana (2803) and Hikaru Nakamura (2789) closely trail Carlsen. These top players are also favorites to win the upcoming Candidates Tournament, which will determine the challenger for the reigning world champion, Ding Liren.
In the women’s rankings, India’s Koneru Humpy stands tall at fifth place with a rating of 2546. Harika Dronavalli follows closely at 11th with 2503 points. Additionally, R Vaishali, another Indian talent, occupies the 15th position with a rating of 2475.
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Ajay Gandhar has been part of Khel Now since 2023 and has expertise across a wide range of Olympic sports. While his coverage spans the Olympic spectrum, he is passionate about Badminton, Tennis, Football, and Track and Field. Beyond his primary focus areas, Ajay is also an avid kabaddi enthusiast and closely follows the sport.
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