Indian chess grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the highest-ranked player in India following his triumph at the UzChess Cup Masters held in Croatia. The 19-year-old expressed that he is not overly concerned with his rating points, opting instead to focus on one tournament at a time.

In a thrilling final match, Praggnanandhaa secured victory against local favorite Nodirbek Abdusattorov while playing with the Black pieces. This win elevated his live rating to 2778.3, surpassing reigning world champion D Gukesh (2776.6) and Arjun Erigaisi (2775.7).

Previously, Erigaisi held the title of the top-ranked Indian player but fell to sixth place after a draw against fellow Indian Aravindh Chithambaram. Praggnanandhaa now ranks fourth globally, trailing behind Magnus Carlsen (2839.2), Hikaru Nakamura (2807.0), and Fabiano Caruana (2784.2), while Gukesh is positioned fifth.

In an interview, Praggnanandhaa remarked, "I became India's number one by just one point, so I don't think it holds much significance. These minor fluctuations can easily change in a single game. My focus is on the tournament I just won, which is far more meaningful to me. I prefer to take it one tournament at a time and not get too caught up in the rating points."

Praggnanandhaa has also garnered admiration from World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura after being selected by Team Liquid for the upcoming Esports World Cup 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He commented on their praise, stating, "It feels good, but I don't think it will affect me significantly. I will continue my current approach, but such comments motivate me to improve and boost my confidence."

He acknowledged the crucial support from Adani Sportsline, which has been instrumental in his development over the past year. "The Adani group has been backing me for the last year. As chess players, we often need to travel and train extensively, which can be costly. Their support has been invaluable, especially during my preparation for the Candidates tournament last year. They stood by me even during tough times, which has encouraged me to strive harder. I'm truly thankful for their backing, and it's encouraging to see corporations investing in chess, which is beneficial for the sport overall," he concluded.