Vidit Gujrathi Tops Anand as India No 1 in Chess

Gujrathi Overtakes Anand, Reaches World Top 10 at Tata Steel Chess

Vidit Gujrathi, India’s chess grandmaster, surpassed Viswanathan Anand to become the new India No 1 in the FIDE live rating list after his recent victory at the 2024 Tata Steel Chess in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands.

WORLD DESK – Vidit Gujrathi, a 29-year-old chess grandmaster, made a significant leap in his career by becoming India’s top-ranked player, overtaking the five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand.

Gujrathi accomplished this feat by defeating Nodirbek Abdusattarov with the white pieces in the penultimate round of the 2024 Tata Steel Chess tournament in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands.

This historic achievement was marked by his win against Nodirbek Abdusattarov, a promising Uzbekistan teenager, in the penultimate round of the prestigious 2024 Tata Steel Chess tournament.

Gujrathi’s victory not only elevated him to the top of India’s rankings but also propelled him into the top 10 of the world chess rankings for the first time, with a live rating of 2751.5.

This shift at the top comes shortly after Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, 18, temporarily claimed the India No 1 spot by defeating reigning world champion Ding Liren, only to fall to the third position with a rating of 2747.2.

Viswanathan Anand, the 54-year-old chess veteran, now ranks second in India with a rating of 2748.

The Indian chess scene has been witnessing a dynamic shift, evidenced last September when 17-year-old Dommaraju Gukesh dethroned Anand as the India No 1 in the published ratings, ending Anand’s long-standing dominance since 1986.

Gujrathi’s recent performance sets the stage for him to possibly become the second player to officially attain the No 1 spot in India when the FIDE ratings are updated on February 1.

His outstanding performance in the Tata Steel Chess tournament also places him in a five-way tie for the lead, alongside Gukesh, Abdusattarov, Wei Yei, and Anish Giri, with 7.5 points out of 12 rounds.

Praggnanandhaa, another prominent Indian player in the tournament, is currently ranked seventh, tied with Alireza Firouzja of France, holding seven points.

The chess community eagerly anticipates the final round of the event, scheduled for Sunday, which promises to be a thrilling conclusion to this prestigious tournament.