Praggnanandhaa increases lead in FIDE circuit 2025 standings
World No. 7 GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu (India) increased his lead in the FIDE circuit 2025 race, a run-up for the next Candidates slot logging 68.40 points so far. Pragg came up with third place finish in GCT Poland and followed it with a title triumph in GCT Superbet Chess Classic Romania going well ahead of former world champion GM Ding Liren (China) at 40.64 points.
Winning his second big classical tournament in 2025, Praggnanandhaa looks set to make this year all his own. Early this February the genial Chennai based Grandmaster clinched his maiden Tata Steel Wijk aan Zee (popularly known as the Wimbledon of Chess) title defeating his long time friend and rival, world champion Gukesh Dommaraju in the play-offs. In a repeat scenario, it was play-off again at Bucharest in the GCT Superbet Chess Classic Romania where the Indian put it across the French duo Firouzja and MVL without breaking a sweat.
| # | PLAYER | RATING | FED | CIRCUIT POINTS | EVENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Praggnanandhaa R | 2737 | IND | 68.40 | Wijk aan Zee, Prague, GCT Warsaw, GCT Bucharest |
| 2 | Ding, Liren | 2728 | CHN | 40.64 | World Chp, Singapore |
| 3 | Daneshvar, Bardiya | 2600 | IRI | 33.39 | AL-BERUNIY, Aeroflot, Agzamov Memorial, Asian Chp UAE |
| 4 | Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime | 2731 | FRA | 30.28 | GCT Warsaw, GCT Bucharest |
| 5 | Nihal Sarin | 2676 | IND | 29.99 | Agzamov Memorial, Menorca, Asian Chp UAE |
| 6 | Fedoseev, Vladimir | 2709 | SLO | 29.05 | Wijk aan Zee, GCT Warsaw |
| 7 | Ivanchuk, Vasyl | 2630 | UKR | 24.39 | Reykjavik, San Vicente Alicante, Menorca |
| 8 | Aravindh, Chithambaram VR. | 2718 | IND | 24.34 | Prague Chess Festival |
| 9 | Gukesh D | 2783 | IND | 22.37 | Wijk aan Zee |
| 10 | Maurizzi, Marc`Andria | 2576 | FRA | 22.02 | Djerba Tunisia, Prague |
Source: FIDE (International Chess Federation)
With Ding Liren expressing his unwillingness to play Open tournaments towards FIDE Circuit points, many other GMs have an outside chance to give Pragg a run for the money. Breathing down his neck are fellow Indian Grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Aravindh Chithambaram. Also, challenges from GMs Fedoseev, MVL and newly crowned Asian Individual Champion Daneshvar Bardiya from Iran cannot be taken lightly.
Super GMs Firouzja, Nepo, Giri, Abdusattorov are further down the table but could always turn it around. With seven more months to go, it could become anybody’s race, but Praggnanandhaa has set the ball rolling leading from the front sans a pace-setter.
FIDE Circuit 2025 Regulations
Picture courtesy: Grand Chess Tour
