Top 10 Chess Players in India (May 2026)
Here you will find the official list of the Top 10 open-category chess players from India, ranked using the most recent FIDE classical ratings .
This leaderboard highlights the strongest active players representing India in the international chess arena. Rankings are updated automatically every month once FIDE publishes its new rating list.
How This Ranking Is Calculated
The ranking is based exclusively on FIDE classical (standard) ratings. In case two players have the same rating, the following tie-break criteria are considered:
- Recent tournament participation and performance
- Rating progression over the last 12 months
- Head-to-head results against other top players
| # | Name | Country | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Erigaisi Arjun |  IND | 2751 |
| 2 | Viswanathan Anand | IND | 2739 |
| 3 | Praggnanandhaa R | IND | 2733 |
| 4 | Gukesh D | IND | 2732 |
| 5 | Nihal Sarin | IND | 2723 |
| 6 | Santosh Gujrathi Vidit | IND | 2708 |
| 7 | Chithambaram VR. Aravindh | IND | 2692 |
| 8 | Pentala Harikrishna | IND | 2676 |
| 9 | V Pranav | IND | 2657 |
| 10 | Murali Karthikeyan | IND | 2648 |
Related Rankings
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do the ratings come from?
All ratings are sourced directly from the official FIDE database.
How often is this list updated?
Rankings refresh automatically every time FIDE releases its monthly rating report.
Does the list include inactive players?
No, only players listed as “active” by FIDE appear here.