Praggnanandhaa's Ascent to World No. 1 Junior Sparks Witty Remark from Giri

Giri's Witty Remark on Praggnanandhaa's Junior Chess Supremacy

Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri, known for his sharp wit, stirred the chess community with a playful comment following R Praggnanandhaa's ascent to the World No. 1 junior chess player position.

Giri, currently ranked No. 10 globally with a live rating of 2748.0, remarked, "Chess juniors nowadays have to be at least U16, keeping track of U20 players is totally pointless." This statement subtly acknowledges the rising prominence of young chess talents who are already making significant strides in the senior world rankings.

This jest came on the heels of Praggnanandhaa's impressive victory at the UzChess Cup Masters 2025 in Uzbekistan. The 19-year-old's performance boosted his live rating to 2778.3, positioning him as World No. 4 overall and surpassing all other Indian players.

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

Praggnanandhaa’s path to victory was compelling. He commenced the final day trailing Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov. However, a critical win against Abdusattorov in the last classical round forced a three-way tie.

In the ensuing blitz tiebreaks, Praggnanandhaa exhibited 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 lauded the young talent, stating, "This win seemed the least likely with just two rounds to go… An impressive demonstration of character.”

With this victory, Praggnanandhaa adds the UzChess Cup to his list of 2025 achievements, including wins at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament and the Superbet Classic in Romania. He also recently secured the runner-up position at the Stepan Avagyan Memorial.

While Giri's comment playfully diminishes the significance of junior rankings, Praggnanandhaa’s recent performance underscores a crucial point: the future of world chess is here, and India is at the forefront.

Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu’s inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.