Chess: India has a new No. 1 as Arjun Erigaisi Climbs to No. 9 in the World

In the latest FIDE rankings released by the world governing body of chess, India has a new number 1 chess player – Arjun Erigaisi. With a standard rating of 2756, Erigaisi is ranked ninth in the world. This is his debut in the top 10 of the Open standard list.

Anand Follows as Second-Ranked Indian

Following Erigaisi is the five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand, who is the second-ranked Indian on the FIDE list. The 21-year-old Erigaisi collected eight points in the 5th Shengzhen Chess Masters and Bundesliga, which propelled him to the ninth position on the list.

Anand’s Ranking and Rating

Anand is on the 11th spot in the ratings with a rating of 2751. Anand is followed by the Candidates troika of 18-year-old Praggnanandhaa R, 17-year-old Gukesh D, and Vidit Santosh Gujrathi (29 years old), who will all be in action at the prestigious Candidates tournament later this week.

Pragg, Gukesh, and Vidit’s Rankings

Pragg is 14th in the FIDE charts with a rating of 2747. Gukesh is 16th with a rating of 2743. Vidit is 25th with a rating of 2727 points.

World No. 1: Magnus Carlsen

The former world champion Magnus Carlsen still tops the charts with a rating of 2830.

Candidates Tournament Favorites

Following Carlsen are two Americans: Fabiano Caruana (rating of 2803) and Hikaru Nakamura (rating of 2789). Both Caruana and Nakamura are the favorites to win the Candidates tournament, which will earn them the right to take on the world champion Ding Liren.