New Delhi, Mar 1: India’s teenage chess sensation D. Gukesh continued his meteoric rise, climbing to a career-best world No. 3 in the latest FIDE classical ratings released on Saturday. Meanwhile, R. Praggnanandhaa has re-entered the top 10, marking a strong resurgence of Indian chess on the global stage.

Gukesh, the reigning world champion, has been in exceptional form since his historic triumph over China’s Ding Liren in the World Championship final in December. The 18-year-old gained 10 points to reach a 2787 rating, overtaking compatriot Arjun Erigaisi and American Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana. He now sits just behind World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura (2802) and long-time leader Magnus Carlsen (2833).

Gukesh’s rapid ascent comes despite his narrow loss to Praggnanandhaa on tiebreaks at the Tata Steel Masters in Wijk aan Zee. Erigaisi, who previously held the top Indian spot, has slipped to No. 5 with a 2777 rating.

Praggnanandhaa, currently competing in the Prague Masters, has broken back into the top 10 for the first time since July 2023. His Tata Steel Masters victory helped him gain 17 points, elevating him to world No. 8 with a 2758 rating.

In the women’s rankings, Koneru Humpy remains India’s highest-ranked player at No. 6 with a 2528 rating. R. Vaishali (2484) and Harika Dronavalli (2483) are ranked 14th and 16th, respectively.

Gukesh will take on the world’s top players in the upcoming edition of Norway Chess. Adding to the excitement, India’s No.1 Arjun Erigaisi and China’s No.1 Wei Yi will make their Norway Chess debuts.

The prestigious event to be held in Stavanger, Norway from May 26 to June 6, 2025, will feature World No.1 Magnus Carlsen, World No.2 Hikaru Nakamura, World No. 3 D. Gukesh, World No. 4 Fabiano Caruana, World No. 5 Arjun Erigasi World No. 8 R. Praggnanandhaa.

(IANS)

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