Praggnanandhaa鈥檚 gradual rise to the top of the chess world left the legendary Indian GM Viswanathan Anand himself impressed, calling Pragg the 鈥榙eserving world number 4鈥, after the latest rankings were revealed.
Praggnanandhaa鈥檚 impressive winning streak in 2025 continued as the Indian clinched the UZChess Cup Masters, marking his third major classical tournament victory of the year.
The Indian GM scored a crucial win against local Grandmaster Nodirbek Abdusattorov with the black pieces in the ninth and final round of the tournament, to ensure the top spot with two other players, Javokhir Sindarov and Abdusattorov, all with 5.5 points at the end of nine games.
Praggnanandhaa also became the highest-rated Indian chess player in live ratings, underscoring his rising dominance in the chess world; he moved into fourth position, surpassing Arjun Erigaisi.
Former World Champion Viswanathan Anand praised the young star, expressing his happiness and pride in watching the Indian GM work his way towards the top.
He is deservedly the new number four in the chess world and the highest rated player in India.
鈥 Viswanathan Anand (@vishy64theking) June 27, 2025
鈥淐ongrats to @rpraggnachess for winning the Uzbekistan Chess Cup. Third major classical victory this year. Of all his wins this year, this one seemed the least likely with just two rounds to go.鈥
Facing a fiercely competitive field, Praggnanandhaa mounted a remarkable comeback by defeating fellow Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi in the penultimate round. He then overcame local favourite and world top-10 Abdusattorov in the final round to tie for first place.
In a familiar display of nerve and determination, Praggnanandhaa went on to win the tiebreak 鈥 his third successful tiebreak triumph this year 鈥 sealing the title in style.
The Grandmaster from Chennai emerged victorious after two rounds of tiebreak matches, finishing with 3.5 points, ahead of his Uzbekistani opponents. Sindarov placed second with 3.0 points, while Abdusattorov ended up third with 2.5 points in the tiebreak rounds.
Earlier this year, Praggnanandhaa won the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, and the Grand Chess Tour Superbet Classic in Romania, making this his third classical title of the season.