Home / Sports / Nihal Sarin Climbs to World Top 20 in Chess Rankings
Nihal Sarin Climbs to World Top 20 in Chess Rankings
2 Nov
Summary
- Nihal Sarin achieved a career-best World No. 19 ranking.
- R Praggnanandhaa remains India's top player at World No. 7.
- India ranks second globally in Open, Women's, and Mixed chess categories.
In the November 2026 FIDE world rankings, Indian Grandmaster Nihal Sarin has achieved a career-best World No. 19, marking his debut in the top 20. This ascent follows his strong performance at the 41st European Chess Club Cup in Budva, Montenegro, where he secured individual gold and gained 11 rating points.
R Praggnanandhaa continues to lead the Indian contingent, holding World No. 7. He is closely followed by Arjun Erigaisi at No. 12 and Viswanathan Anand at No. 14. Reigning world champion D Gukesh is ranked 26th. India boasts a significant presence with 13 players in the Open Top 100, including Pentala Harikrishna and Karthikeyan Murali.
In the women's section, Koneru Humpy leads India at World No. 9, with Divya Deshmukh and R Vaishali also featuring prominently in the Top 100. Nationally, India maintains its second position behind the USA in Open rankings and holds the same spot in both Women's and Mixed categories, demonstrating sustained strength in global chess.
Deekshitha Modipalli experienced a notable drop, falling from World No. 29 to No. 87 after losing 87 rating points across tournaments. Leon Luke Mendonca also dropped out of the world's top 100.
