INDIAN CHESSERS MAKE WAVES IN FIDE RATING LIST AS TATA STEEL TOURNAMENT KILLED OFF CHANCE FOR UPDATES

New Delhi: In a latest update to the world of chess, Indian players continued their impressive performance in the February 2025 FIDE rating list. Despite the Tata Steel Tournament, which concluded on February 2nd, there were only minimal changes reflected in the list.

Aravindh Chithambaram moved up two ranks with a gain of 2.9 Elo rating points to reach World No.21, while women's chess witnessed WGM Rakshitta Ravi making history by breaking into the World Top 100 for the first time. Her career high rating of 2365 catapulted her to World No.77.

The current list features a total of six Indian players within the top 25 men and four women in the top 18, including GM Koneru Humpy (World no.6) and Im Divya Deshmukh (World no.15).

The World rating list reflects the impressive growth of chess in India, where 12 out of 100 top-ranked players reside.

Tata Steel Tournament, which concluded last week, is expected to cause significant changes when its rating list is released. Until then, Indian women's chess will continue to showcase their prowess.

Countries-wise, the United States holds the top spot as the country with the highest average rating among the top 10 players.

The India ranking has improved since 2024 and stands second globally after the United States in terms of average ratings over the top ten.