FIDE Ratings: Magnus Carlsen still reigns; Praggnanandhaa breaks into World Top 4 | Chess News

File Pic: Magnus Carlsen and Praggnanandhaa

NEW DELHI: July’s FIDE ranking record has introduced a wave of pleasure to Indian chess followers, as 19-year-old GM R Praggnanandhaa surged into the world top-4 for the primary time in his profession. Gaining 12 ranking factors because of his thrilling win on the 2025 UzChess Cup, the Chennai prodigy additionally claimed the title of India’s number-one participant.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Praggnanandhaa’s ranking leap comes on the again of a gritty efficiency in Tashkent. After dropping two video games in a row – together with a spectacular one to GM Richard Rapport, already being touted as a recreation of the yr candidate – he bounced again with 2.5 factors in his remaining three rounds and clinched the title in tiebreaks. He now leads the FIDE Circuit standings by 36 factors, inserting him firmly in competition for the 2026 Candidates Tournament.

While Indian followers celebrated Pragg’s rise, it was enterprise as typical for (*4*)Magnus Carlsen, who retained the world number-one rating following his strong displaying at Norway Chess 2025. It was the Norwegian legend’s first particular person classical occasion since final yr’s version of the identical match. Fellow elite participant Hikaru Nakamura stays at quantity two after a quick return on the American Cup earlier within the yr.World Champion D Gukesh slipped to sixth place within the newest rankings, simply behind fellow Indian Arjun Erigaisi, who additionally drop all the way down to fifth – giving India a powerful three gamers on the earth’s prime 10.Among the opposite main ranking actions, Fabiano Caruana climbed to world number-three with a seven-point achieve, whereas Dutch star Anish Giri re-entered the top-10 after over a yr. For the primary time in ranking record historical past, no Russian participant options on the earth’s top-10, as Ian Nepomniachtchi plummeted to 14th after a winless nine-round run.

On the ladies’s aspect, GM Anna Muzychuk reclaimed the world number-four spot after six years, whereas Carissa Yip surged to twenty first following her Cairns Cup win. Chinese GM Hou Yifan stays the top-rated feminine participant.