Top 10 Chess Players in India 2025

Image Credit: indianexpress

In recent decades, Chess has become very popular all across India and the country has become a global hotspot for the sport’s rapid growth. India now boasts an impressive roster of 84 Grandmasters – this is a remarkable increase from just the one Grandmaster back in 1987. Remarkably, around 50 of these Grandmasters have emerged in the last ten years alone. 

Now, let us take a look at who the best Indian chess players are as per their chess ratings and achievements. Chess ratings serve as the perfect parameter to gauge a player’s strength as per their performance in tournaments and against other competitors. The most common rating system is the Elo rating, used by chess organizations like FIDE (International Chess Federation) and online platforms such as Chess.com and Lichess. 

If a player has a higher rating, the player is a strong one and this system is also used in online gaming. In this article, we will dive into the top 10 Indian chess players, both male and female, ranked by FIDE.

Read More: Top 10 Indian Badminton Players: From Legends to Rising Stars

Top 10 Indian Male & Female Chess Players in 2025

Indian female chess players have been making waves in international chess competitions and there are several players that hold prestigious titles. Here we take a look at the top 10 Indian female chess players, ranked by their FIDE ratings. The title ‘g’ stands for Grandmaster, the highest chess title, and ‘m’ denotes Master.

Leading 5 Indian Female Chess Players

1. Koneru Humpy

Koneru Humpy was born in 1987 in Gudivada, India, and is considered to be the greatest Indian chess players. Her father recognized her talent at an early age and she was already winning local chess championships by the age of 8.

Humpy went on to make history in 2002 when she became the youngest female Grandmaster at just 15. She broke the record held by Judit Polgár. Humpy reached a peak Elo rating of 2606 in 2007 and. She has also been honoured with the Arjuna Award and Padma Shri for her contributions to Indian chess.

2. Harika Dronavalli

Harika Dronavalli, born in Guntur, in 1991, became a Grandmaster in 2009. She was a consistent player and has won bronze in the Women’s World Chess Championship in 2012, 2015, and 2017.

She also won the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix in 2016 and her highest rating crossed 2600, making her the second Indian woman to achieve this. She too has been awarded both the Arjuna Award and Padma Shri.

Suggested Read: Know How to Play Chess Like an Expert

3. Vaishali Rameshbabu

Vaishali Rameshbabu, a rising star born in 2001, showed her promise very early in her career. She achieved her GM title in 2025 when she along with her younger brother Praggnanandhaa became a chess sensation. They became the first siblings to both achieve Grandmaster titles.

4. Divya Deshmukh

Divya Deshmukh, born in 2005, is already an International Master and one of the brightest chess talents in India. Her recent victory in the FIDE World Junior Girls Chess Championship 2025 has made her a prominent figure in Indian female chess.

5. Tania Sachdev

Tania Sachdev is one of the most experienced Indian chess player. She holds the titles of Woman Grandmaster and International Master. Her peak FIDE rating was 2443, and she was part of the gold-winning Indian team at the 2022 Chess Olympiad.

Leading 5 Indian Male Chess Players

Indian top chess players have consistently performed on the global stage. Legends like Viswanathan Anand and emerging stars like Gukesh D have become flag bearers in the sport. Here we take a look at the top 10 male Indian chess players, ranked by FIDE.

1. Erigaisi Arjun

Erigaisi Arjun, born in 2003, became a Grandmaster at 14. In 2025, Arjun overtook Viswanathan Anand to become India’s highest-ranked player. He was remarkably consistent and is one of the favorites for future world championship competitions.

2. Gukesh D

Gukesh D is the youngest chess Grandmaster in Indian history. Born in 2006, he has broken multiple records, and this includes being the youngest to achieve 2700 and 2750 Elo ratings. Gukesh is also the youngest winner of the FIDE Candidates Tournament, earning him a shot at the World Chess Championship.

3. Anand Viswanathan

Viswanathan Anand is often regarded as the greatest Indian chess player of all time. A five-time World Chess Champion, Anand has shaped Indian chess and brought it to the global spotlight. In addition to being a two-time World Cup winner, Anand’s peak FIDE rating of 2817 is the eighth-highest in chess history.

Suggested Read: Who Invented Chess? Tracking the Origin and Journey

4. Praggnanandhaa R

Praggnanandhaa, born in 2005, is one of the youngest chess prodigies in the world. He made headlines by defeating World Champion Magnus Carlsen at the 2025 Norway Chess tournament, solidifying his position among the world’s best players.

5. Vidit Santosh Gujrathi

Vidit Santosh Gujrathi is a prominent Indian Grandmaster who has surpassed the 2700 Elo rating mark. Born in 1994, Vidit became a Grandmaster in 2013 and has consistently been ranked among the top chess players in India.

Further Read: How can I improve my chess skill?

FAQ’s about Chess Players in India

Q) Who is the first Indian female Grandmaster in chess?

A) Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi was the first Indian female chess player to be awarded the title of Woman Grandmaster (WGM) in 2001.

Q) How many female Grandmasters are there in India?

A) Currently, India has several female Grandmasters, including Koneru Humpy, Harika Dronavalli, and Vaishali Rameshbabu, with a growing number of emerging talents.

Q) Who is the super GM of India?

A) As of 2025, Erigaisi Arjun is India’s highest-rated player and holds the title of Super GM.

Q) Who is considered the best Indian chess player of all time?

A) Viswanathan Anand is widely regarded as the best Indian chess player due to his five World Championship titles and his immense contributions to popularizing chess in India.