Praggnanandhaa's Junior Chess Triumph Sparks Debate: Giri's "Pointless" Jibe Highlights Rise of Young Stars

Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri, known for his insightful commentary, sparked a lively debate in the chess community following 19-year-old R Praggnanandhaa's ascent to the World No. 1 junior position.

Image: R Praggnanandhaa and Anish Giri, two prominent figures in the chess world.

Giri, currently ranked world no. 10 with a live rating of 2748.0, playfully remarked, "Chess juniors nowadays have to be at least U16, keeping track of U20 players is totally pointless." His comment subtly acknowledged the exceptional talent emerging at increasingly younger ages, already challenging established players in the senior rankings.

Praggnanandhaa's achievement follows his impressive victory at the UzChess Cup Masters 2025 in Uzbekistan. This win propelled him to a live rating of 2778.3, briefly making him the World No. 4 overall and India’s highest-rated player, surpassing even D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi.

His path to victory was hard-fought. After starting the final day trailing Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov, Praggnanandhaa secured a crucial win against Abdusattorov in the last classical round, forcing a three-way tie. In the ensuing blitz tiebreaks, he displayed remarkable composure, ultimately clinching the tournament victory in the second set of rapid games. This marked his third major classical title of the year.

Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand lauded the young player's character, stating, "This win seemed the least likely with just two rounds to go… An impressive demonstration of character.”

The UzChess Cup victory adds to Praggnanandhaa's impressive 2025, including wins at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament and the Superbet Classic in Romania. He also recently secured a runner-up finish at the Stepan Avagyan Memorial.

While Giri’s remark injects humor into the discussion, Praggnanandhaa’s recent performance underscores a significant trend: the future of chess is rapidly evolving, with India emerging as a central hub for exceptional young talent.