D Gukesh, Koneru Humpy Lone Indians In World Top 10 As March FIDE Ratings Drop

Last Updated:March 04, 2026, 10:29 IST

D Gukesh and Koneru Humpy are the only Indians in the top 10 of FIDE ratings. Arjun Erigaisi and R Praggnanandhaa slip.

Koneru Humpy became Grandmaster at the age of 15. (PTI Photo)

World champion D Gukesh and veteran Koneru Humpy are the only two Indians in the top 10 in the men’s and women’s FIDE ratings for this month, pointing to a stark divide between Indian and overseas chess players.

Arjun Erigaisi took a hit in the classical rankings, sliding from world No. 5 to No. 11 after the Tata Steel Masters. But he remains India’s sole representative in the world top 10 for Rapid and Blitz formats.

R Praggnanandhaa slipped in classical chess as well, moving from No. 8 to No. 13 after his Tata Steel Masters outing. On the women’s side, Humpy continues as India’s lone top-10 player, ranked No. 5 in classical chess.

Divya Deshmukh holds at No. 12 despite not taking part in any classical events in February, while R Vaishali and Harika Dronavalli each dropped two spots to No. 18 and No. 20.

Overall, India boasts 12 players in the Open top 100 and seven in the Women’s top 100.

The March FIDE rating list, reflecting results from major events including the Tata Steel Masters and Challengers and other international Swiss tournaments through February, offers a clear snapshot of India’s standing in global chess.

India has just one player in the world top 10: Gukesh at No. 10. In the top 100, 12 Indians feature:

D Gukesh- No. 10

Arjun Erigaisi – No. 11

R Praggnanandhaa – No. 13

Nihal Sarin – No. 24

Vidit Gujrathi – No. 30

Aravindh Chithambaram – No. 34

Pentala Harikrishna – No. 43

Murali Karthikeyan – No. 70

Raunak Sadhwani – No. 77

Pranav V – No. 79

Pranesh M – No. 89

Aryan Chopra – No. 92

This list underscores India’s growing presence on the global chess stage while highlighting the elite standing of its top players.

Four Indian women remain in the world top 20: Humpy (World No. 5), Deshmukh (No. 12), Vaishali (No. 18), and Dronavalli (No. 20).

Compared with February, Humpy moved up one spot, Deshmukh held steady, while Vaishali and Dronavalli each slipped two places.

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