Praggnanandhaa's Ascent to Top Junior Sparks Witty Reaction from Anish Giri

Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri, known for his sharp wit, has sparked a lively debate in the chess community with his reaction to R Praggnanandhaa becoming the world's top-ranked junior player.

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 highlights the exceptional talent emerging at a young age, already challenging the established order in the senior chess world.

Giri's comment followed Praggnanandhaa's impressive victory at the UzChess Cup Masters 2025 in Uzbekistan. The 19-year-old's performance propelled him to a live rating of 2778.3, making him the World No. 4 overall and surpassing D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi to become India's highest-rated chess player.

Praggnanandhaa's path to victory was dramatic. He began the final day trailing Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov but secured a critical win against Abdusattorov in the last classical round, forcing a three-way tie.

In the ensuing 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 this year.

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

The UzChess Cup victory adds to Praggnanandhaa's impressive 2025, including wins at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament and the Superbet Classic in Romania. He also recently finished as runner-up at the Stepan Avagyan Memorial.

While Giri's remark offers a humorous perspective on junior rankings, Praggnanandhaa's recent performances underscore a clear message: the future of world chess is rapidly evolving, with India at the forefront.