Top Chess players in India: 2025 Rankings

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

Last Updated: May 26, 2025, 17:48 IST6 min

Koneru Humpy Credit: Photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee/NurP...

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 10 female chess players in India

Here are India"s top female chess players, ranked according to FIDE. The title ‘GM’ means Grandmaster, "WGM" means Woman Grandmaster and ‘IM’ means International Master. The grandmaster title is the highest honour in chess.

Rank	Name	Title	Fed	Rating
1	Koneru, Humpy	GM	IND	2543
2	Dronavalli, Harika	GM	IND	2483
3	Vaishali, Rameshbabu	GM	IND	2475
4	Divya Deshmukh	IM	IND	2469
5	Tania, Sachdev	IM	IND	2396
6	Vantika Agrawal	IM	IND	2377
7	Nandhidhaa, P V	WGM	IND	2363
8	Padmini, Rout	IM	IND	2359
9	Kulkarni Bhakti	IM	IND	2356
10	Rakshitta Ravi	WGM	IND	2324

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

Koneru Humpy

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 Polgà¡r. She achieved a peak Elo rating of 2606 in 2007, making her only the second woman after Judit Polgà¡r to cross this mark. Her contributions to chess have earned her the Arjuna Award and Padma Shri. In 2024, Koneru became the World Rapid champion for the second time in her career.

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. Last year, she was part of India"s Women"s Chess Olympiad team which won the tournament.

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. She won the bronze medal at Women"s World Blitz Chess Championship 2024.

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 was part of the gold medal-winning FIDE Online Chess Olympiad team.

Tania Sachdev

Tania Sachdev. Image: Arun SANKAR / AFP

Tania Sachdev, born on August 20, 1986, is an Indian chess player who has achieved the titles of Woman Grandmaster (WGM) and International Master (IM). Her peak FIDE rating was 2443 in September 2013. She was also part of the gold medal-winning Indian team at the 45th Chess Olympiad organised by the International Chess Federation in Budapest.

Top 10 male chess players in India

Here are the top 10 male chess players in India, ranked according to FIDE.

Rank	Name	Title	Rating
1	Gukesh D	GM	2787
2	Erigaisi Arjun	GM	2782
3	Praggnanandhaa R	GM	2758
4	Aravindh, Chithambaram VR.	GM	2749
5	Anand, Viswanathan	GM	2743
6	Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi	GM	2720
7	Harikrishna, Pentala	GM	2707
8	Nihal Sarin	GM	2693
9	Sadhwani, Raunak	GM	2672
10	Karthikeyan, Murali	GM	2658

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

Gukesh D

Gukesh D Credit: PTI Photo via FIDE/Michal Walusza

Indian chess grandmaster Dommaraju Gukesh, better known as Gukesh D, is the youngest undisputed World Chess Champion. He won the title on December 12, 2024 by defeating Chinese grandmaster Ding Liren. 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.

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. In June 2024, Arjun surpassed former world champion Viswanathan Anand to become the top-ranked player in India. He was part of the Indian team that won the first-ever team gold medal at the Chess Olympiad at Budapest.In December 2024, Arjun crossed 2800 on the FIDE Ratings list, making him the 16th player ever in history to cross the mark. He finished tenth at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2025.

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. On 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 was sweeter for Praggnanandhaa as he became one of the select few to get the better of Mangus–a five-time World Chess Champion. He was also part of the Indian that won the 45th Chess Olympiad. In 2025 so far, he has won the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2025, Masters section after defeating Gukesh D in the playoff. He also won the Grand Chess Tour Superbet Chess Classic Romania in May 2025.

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.In March 2025, he won the Paris Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Play-In.

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.

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