Anish Giri's "Pointless" Remark Sparks Debate as Praggnanandhaa Claims Top Junior Chess Spot

Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri, known for his wit, sparked a lively debate within the chess community following R Praggnanandhaa's ascent to the World No. 1 junior ranking.

R Praggnanandhaa and Anish Giri, two prominent figures in chess.

Giri, currently ranked World No. 10 with a live rating of 2748.0, quipped, "Chess juniors nowadays have to be at least U16, keeping track of U20 players is totally pointless." This remark subtly highlights the extraordinary emergence of young talents who are already challenging seasoned players at the highest levels of the sport.

The comment followed Praggnanandhaa's impressive victory at the UzChess Cup Masters 2025 in Uzbekistan. The 19-year-old's performance boosted his live rating to 2778.3, positioning him as World No. 4 overall and surpassing D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi to become India's top-rated player.

Praggnanandhaa's path to victory was marked by drama. He entered the final day trailing Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov, but a crucial win against Abdusattorov in the last classical round forced a three-way tie. In the ensuing blitz tiebreaks, Praggnanandhaa displayed remarkable composure, securing the tournament win in the second set of rapid games, marking his third major classical title of the year.

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

Praggnanandhaa's UzChess Cup victory adds to his impressive 2025 achievements, which include 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 comment carries a hint of jest regarding the significance of junior rankings, Praggnanandhaa's recent performance undeniably underscores a pivotal point: the future of chess is not just on the horizon; it's already making waves, particularly within India's burgeoning chess scene.