Top Chess players in India

Learn about the top chess players in India, both male and female, ranked by the International Chess Federation (FIDE)

Published: Aug 2, 2024 05:22:13 PM IST

Updated: Aug 5, 2024 09:56:16 AM IST

To find out who the top chess players in India are, we have to look at their chess ratings. A chess rating system estimates a player's strength based on their performance against other players. These systems are used by organisations such as FIDE, US Chess, and online platforms like Chess.com and Lichess. A higher rating indicates a stronger player. The Elo rating system is the most widely used and has been adopted beyond chess, including online gaming and even dating apps. In this blog, we will look at the top 10 chess players in India, female and male, ranked by FIDE.

Top female chess players in India

Here are India's top female chess players, ranked according to FIDE. The title ‘g’ means Grandmaster, and ‘m’ means master. The grandmaster title is the highest honour in chess.

Top Chess Players- Female	Title	Rating
#1 Koneru Humpy	g	2530
#2 Harika Dronavalli	g	2491
#3 Vaishali Rameshbabu	g	2488
#4 Divya Deshmukh	m	2464
#5 Vantika Agrawal	m	2390

Let’s learn a little bit about the Indian chess queens:

Koneru Humpy

Koneru Humpy; Credit: Photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Born in Gudivada, India, in 1987, Koneru Humpy is a chess grandmaster. Her talent for chess was recognised by her father when she was only six years old. By the age of eight, she was already winning local championships.

Humpy made history in 2002 by becoming the youngest female Grandmaster at the age of fifteen, surpassing a record held by Judit Polgár. She achieved a peak Elo rating of 2606 in 2007, making her only the second woman after Judit Polgár to cross this mark. Her contributions to chess have earned her the Arjuna Award and Padma Shri.

Harika Dronavalli

Harika Dronavalli; Credit: PTI Photo

Harika Dronavalli achieved the Grandmaster (GM) title in 2009. Born in Guntur, India, in 1991, she, too, displayed exceptional talent from a young age.

Her career highlights include three bronze medals at the Women's World Chess Championship (2012, 2015, and 2017), a victory at the FIDE Women's Grand Prix in Chengdu in 2016, and becoming the second Indian woman to cross the 2600 Elo rating mark. Harika has been awarded the Arjuna Award in 2007-08 and the Padma Shri in 2019.

Vaishali Rameshbabu

Vaishali Rameshbabu; Credit: Photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Rameshbabu Vaishali, born in 2001, achieved the Grandmaster title in 2024. She and her brother, Praggnanandhaa, are the first siblings-duo to attain the Grandmaster title and qualify for the Candidates Tournament.

Divya Deshmukh

Divya Deshmukh; Credit: PTI Photo/Swapan Mahapatra

Divya Deshmukh, born in 2005, achieved the International Master (IM) title in 2023. A highlight of her career includes winning the FIDE World Junior Girls Chess Championship in 2024. Deshmukh is part of the gold medal-winning FIDE Online Chess Olympiad team.

Vantika Agarwal

Vantika Agarwal; Credit: PTI Photo/Swapan Mahapatra

Vantika Agrawal, born in September 2002, is an Indian chess player who has achieved the titles of Woman Grandmaster (WGM) and International Master (IM). In 2016, Vantika secured a bronze medal in the U14 category of the World Youth Chess Championship. She was also part of the gold medal-winning Indian team at the FIDE Online Chess Olympiad in 2020.

Male top chess players in India

Here are the top chess players in India, ranked according to FIDE.

Top Chess Players- Male	Title	Ranking
#1 Erigaisi Arjun	g	2778
#2 Gukesh D	g	2763
#3 Praggnanandhaa R	g	2757
#4 Anand Viswanathan	g	2751
#5 Vidit Santosh Gujrathi	g	2720

Let’s learn a little about the male chess prodigies in India:

Erigaisi Arjun

Erigaisi Arjun; Credit: Photo by Andrzej Iwanczuk/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Arjun Erigaisi, born in 2003, secured the Grandmaster title at the age of 14, making him the 32nd youngest person ever to achieve this title. As of June 2024, Arjun has surpassed former world champion Viswanathan Anand to become the top-ranked player in India.

Gukesh D

Gukesh D; Credit: PTI Photo via FIDE/Michal Walusza

Indian chess grandmaster Dommaraju Gukesh, better known as Gukesh D, is currently ranked seventh in the world by the International Chess Federation as of June 20, 2024. He holds the titles of youngest Grandmaster in history, youngest player to achieve a chess rating of 2700, youngest player to achieve a rating of 2750, and youngest winner of the FIDE Candidates competition. Gukesh became the youngest candidate to play for the title of World Chess Champion after winning the 2024 Candidates Tournament.

Praggnanandhaa R

Praggnanandhaa R; Credit: TI Photo via FIDE/Michal Walusza

Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, an Indian chess grandmaster and prodigy, was born on August 10, 2005. As of June 20, 2024, the International Chess Federation ranked Praggnanandhaa eighth in the world. He defeated World No 1 Magnus Carlsen in a classical game at the 2024 Norway Chess tournament in Stavanger. The victory is sweeter for Praggnanandhaa as he becomes one of the select few to get the better of Mangus–a five time World Chess Champion and the currently, the chess player with the highest rating in the world.

Anand Vishwanathan

Anand Vishwanathan; Credit: hoto by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

Indian chess grandmaster Viswanathan "Vishy" Anand was born on December 11, 1969. He is a two-time record winner of the Chess World Cup and a five-time World Chess Champion. He became the first Indian grandmaster in 1988, and his peak FIDE rating is still the eighth-highest in history. He was chosen to serve as FIDE's deputy president in 2022.

Vidit Santosh Gujrathi

Vidit Santosh Gujrathi; Credit: PTI Photo via FIDE/Michal Walusza

Born October 24, 1994, Vidit Santosh Gujrathi also holds the Grandmaster title. In 2013, he became the 30th Indian chess player to achieve the grandmaster title. He is the fourth player from India to surpass the 2700 Elo rating mark.

FAQs

Who is the first Indian female Grandmaster in chess?
The first female Grandmaster in chess history from India is Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi. She was the first Indian woman to be awarded the title of Woman Grandmaster (WGM) in 2001.

How many female grandmasters are there?
The highest title granted by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) is Grandmaster (GM), and 42 women chess players currently hold this rank.

Who is the super GM of India?
Currently, the highest-ranked Indian chess player is Arjun Erigaisi.

Who is the best chess man in India?
Vishwanathan Anand is often hailed as the best chess player in India. He put India on the map in competitive chess.