India's chess prodigies vanish from FIDE top 10 as Uzbek stars rise

Key facts

• Arjun Erigaisi is the highest-ranked Indian at 11th in the May 2025 FIDE Classical ratings.
• D Gukesh, reigning world champion, has fallen to 18th with 2732 Elo points.
• Three Indians were in the top 10 as recently as February 2025.
• Nodirbek Abdusattorov is ranked 4th; Javokhir Sindarov is in the top five.
• Vincent Keymer, ranked 7th, says it 'makes no sense' to claim Abdusattorov is better than the Indian trio.
• Gukesh will defend his world title against Sindarov later this year.
• Koneru Humpy remains 6th in the women's ratings for May 2026.

A historic slide

For the first time in over two years, India's male chess players have completely fallen out of the top 10 of the FIDE Classical world rankings. The May 2025 list places Arjun Erigaisi, the highest-ranked Indian, at 11th — a position that marks the first time since February 2024 that no Indian appears among the world's elite. Then, it was the legendary Viswanathan Anand, now a semi-retired player, who sat at 12th. The shift is abrupt. As recently as February 2025, three Indians occupied top-10 spots: Erigaisi, reigning world champion D Gukesh, and R Praggnanandhaa. In May 2024, Gukesh was ranked 3rd, Erigaisi 4th, and Praggnanandhaa 7th. The freefall has been swift and collective.

Uzbekistan's surge

The primary force pushing Indians out of the top 10 is the rise of two Uzbekistani stars. Nodirbek Abdusattorov now occupies the 4th spot, while Javokhir Sindarov, fresh off winning the Candidates Tournament, has broken into the top five. Sindarov is set to challenge Gukesh for the world championship later this year. Abdusattorov's ascent has been particularly striking. He has surged past the Indian trio — Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, and Erigaisi — who until recently were ranked significantly higher. German Grandmaster Vincent Keymer, ranked 7th globally, expressed surprise at the development, noting that three months ago Abdusattorov had 2730 Elo points while the Indians were near 2800.

Keymer's defense of the Indian trio

Keymer, the top-ranked German player, challenged the notion that Abdusattorov's current ranking reflects a genuine superiority over the Indian prodigies. 'It makes no sense to claim that Abdusattorov is now much better than Praggnanandhaa, Gukesh or Erigaisi,' he told German chess magazine SchachMagazin64. 'Three months ago Abdusattorov had 2730, and they had almost 2800 — everything changes very fast!' Keymer included himself in the same assessment, stating that he is 'not clearly better than those players who are 20-30 points behind me right now.' He attributed the volatility to form: 'This is a new young generation that works hard, and all of them are very talented. A lot depends on current form.'

The toll of poor form

The Indians' slide is directly linked to a prolonged period of poor results. Gukesh, who will defend his world title against Sindarov, has endured subpar form for nearly a year. Praggnanandhaa, the lone Indian in the Open section of the FIDE Candidates last month, is now ranked 16th. Erigaisi, despite his overall drop, has shown resilience in faster formats: he is ranked 4th in Rapid and 7th in Blitz, and won bronze medals in both at the World Rapid and Blitz Championships in Abu Dhabi last December. The contrast is stark. In May 2024, India had three players in the top 10; now it has none. The Uzbek duo's improved showing has compounded the effect, squeezing out the Indians who had become accustomed to top-tier rankings.

Cultural grounding amid the storm

Beyond the rankings, a quieter story has emerged: the visible presence of vibhuti, the sacred ash, on the foreheads of Indian players. Praggnanandhaa, Gukesh, and R Vaishali, among others, wear the mark during tournaments. Praggnanandhaa explained the philosophy to podcaster Raj Shamani: 'This is basically the ash. We come from ash and go back to it. So, this is basically [to remind us] that whatever we do is not something to be arrogant about.' Gukesh's connection is more personal: 'I have always worn it. My mum told me to wear it after prayer. I still do it.' The practice has also been observed on British-Indian prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan, just 11 years old, at a tournament in North London. Dr Swaroop Savanur, a mental performance coach, notes that such rituals provide a sense of control and hope in a sport defined by uncertainty and vulnerability.

What lies ahead

The immediate future hinges on the world championship match between Gukesh and Sindarov, a contest that will not only decide the crown but also serve as a referendum on the current pecking order. For the Indians, a return to form could quickly reverse their ranking slide, as Keymer emphasized: 'Everything changes very fast.' Yet the broader question remains: can the Indian trio — Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, and Erigaisi — reclaim their places among the elite? Their talent is unquestioned, but the sport's unforgiving nature means that form, not reputation, dictates the standings. The coming months will reveal whether this is a temporary dip or a more enduring shift in the global chess hierarchy.

The bottom line

• No Indian male player is in the FIDE Classical top 10 for the first time since February 2024.
• Uzbekistan's Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov have risen to 4th and top five, respectively.
• Vincent Keymer argues that ranking gaps do not reflect true ability, citing rapid form changes.
• Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, and Erigaisi have all suffered from poor recent results despite past high rankings.
• Indian players' use of vibhuti reflects a cultural practice that provides psychological grounding.
• The upcoming world championship match between Gukesh and Sindarov will be a key test of the new order.