Praggnanandhaa Triumphs at UzChess Cup, Ascends to India’s No. 1 and World No. 4
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India’s R. Praggnanandhaa etched his name into chess lore by clinching the 2025 UzChess Cup Masters in Tashkent on June 27. The 9‑round classical tournament saw intense competition, culminating in a three‑way tie between Praggnanandhaa, Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and Javokhir Sindarov—all scoring 5½/9.
Earlier rounds saw dramatic swings: after reaching 3/4, Praggnanandhaa stumbled with consecutive losses to Parham Maghsoodloo and Richard Rapport—the latter’s victory hailed as a “candidate for game of the year”. Undeterred, he rebounded in rounds eight and nine, defeating Arjun Erigaisi and Abdusattorov to force the tie.
In the ensuing tiebreaker—an initial blitz double round‑robin—all three tied again at 2/4. A decisive single-round blitz followed, where Praggnanandhaa triumphed, securing the title and the $20,000 top prize.
This victory propelled his live FIDE rating to an impressive 2778.3, vaulting him past reigning world champion D. Gukesh (2776.6) to become India’s No. 1 and the World No. 4. The win also bolsters his standing atop the FIDE Circuit leaderboard, reinforcing a banner year that includes triumphs at Tata Steel and the Superbet Classic.
Praggnanandhaa expressed special gratitude to mentor Viswanathan Anand, marking the moment as “special” and thanking him for invaluable inspiration. His peer, Anish Giri, playfully noted how juniors like Praggnanandhaa now dominate senior rankings—highlighting India’s rising chess tide.
With his third major classical title this year, Praggnanandhaa has firmly established himself at the pinnacle of Indian and global chess. Following his UzChess Cup win, the spotlight now shifts to whether he can parlay this momentum into a world championship bid.
