Praggnanandhaa hits career-high in FIDE Rankings; Carlsen stays World no. 1
Praggnanandhaa hits career-high in FIDE Rankings; Carlsen stays World no. 1
In the September 2025 FIDE classical rating update, R Praggnanandhaa surged to a career-high 2785 Elo, landing him at No. 4 overall and making him India’s highest-rated classical player. The gain was fuelled by his second-place finish at the Sinquefield Cup, which netted him six rating points in August.
At the very top remains Magnus Carlsen, no longer the reigning world champion but still the No. 1 classical player by rating. He is followed by American grandmasters Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana, at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.
India’s other top classical players include Arjun Erigaisi at No. 5 (2771 Elo) and the reigning World Champion D Gukesh, just behind at No. 6 (2767 Elo).
A notable newcomer to the global top 10 is Germany’s Vincent Keymer, who climbed sharply after a dominant performance at the Chennai Grand Masters 2025, gaining 21 rating points and breaking into the elite bracket.
Another big mover is Wesley So who jumped up to world No. 7 in the classical rankings thanks to his second title at the Sinquefield Cup,
In the women’s classical rankings, Hou Yifan retains her position at No. 1. The highest-ranked Indian woman is Koneru Humpy, who holds the No. 6 spot in the world.
Published on Sep 01, 2025
