A mere 10 days after 18-year-old Grand Master R Praggnanandhaa had achieved numero uno status, it is now the turn of Vidit Gujrathi to do the same. The 29-year-old from Nashik has become the new India number 1 in the international chess federation's (FIDE) live rating list. Like Praggnanandhaa, Gujrathi too has upstaged the legendary Viswanathan Anand to achieve the feat. (More Chess News)
Vidit beat Uzbek GM Nodirbek Abdusattarov with white pieces in the penultimate round of Tata Steel Masters Chess 2024 in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands to notch up a live rating of 2751.5 and also break into the top 10 of the world rankings in the process. Vidit jumped four spots to overtake five-time world champion Anand, and is now perched in 10th place.
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Praggnanandhaa had defeated current world champ Ding Liren in the fourth round of the tournament to become India no. 1, but the teenager has since dropped to number three with a rating of 2747.2. Anand, who is currently world number 13, has a rating of 2748.
Gujrathi’s victory over Abdusattarov also slotted him in a five-way tie for the lead at the Tata Steel Chess Masters, with D Gukesh, Abdusattarov, Wei Yei and Anish Giri at 7.5 points apiece after 12 rounds.
Meanwhile, Praggnanandhaa is in the seventh spot with seven points, alongside France's Alireza Firouzja. The final round of the event will be played on the evening of Sunday, January 28, 2024.
