Globally, only one chess player is in the headlines right now as D Gukesh etched his name in chess history by becoming the youngest-ever World Chess Champion. The 18-year-old prodigy from India clinched the title with a decisive victory over reigning champion Ding Liren in the 14th game of the World Chess Championship in Singapore. This achievement has not only made Gukesh the second Indian to claim the Chess World Championship after Viswanathan Anand but has also boosted his global ranking.
Gukesh not in top 3 in Rankings
Despite this monumental feat, Gukesh currently finds himself just outside the top three in the world rankings. Talking about the classical rankings, the chess world continues to be dominated by the Norwegian grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, who maintains his stronghold on the number one spot with an impressive rating of 2831.0. Following Carlsen are two American players, Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura, occupying the second and third positions. Gukesh, with a rating of 2776.8, holds the fifth position in the global rankings.
3 Indians are in the top 10
However, the current rankings paint a bright picture for Indian chess. For the first time, three Indian players have secured spots in the top 10 global rankings. Leading the Indian contingent is Erigaisi Arjun, who has made an entry into the fourth position with a rating of 2800.6. Gukesh follows closely in fifth place, while the veteran Viswanathan Anand, at 55 years old, continues to inspire by holding the tenth position.
Global Chess Rankings (Classical)
| Rank | Player | Country | Rating | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carlsen, Magnus | Norway | 2831.0 | 34 |
| 2 | Caruana, Fabiano | USA | 2803.4 | 32 |
| 3 | Nakamura, Hikaru | USA | 2802.0 | 37 |
| 4 | Erigaisi Arjun | India | 2800.6 | 21 |
| 5 | Gukesh D | India | 2776.8 | 18 |
| 6 | Abdusattorov, Nodirbek | Uzbekistan | 2767.6 | 20 |
| 7 | Firouzja, Alireza | France | 2763.0 | 21 |
| 8 | Nepomniachtchi, Ian | Russia | 2753.6 | 34 |
| 9 | Wei, Yi | China | 2750.9 | 25 |
| 10 | Anand, Viswanathan | India | 2750.0 | 55 |
