How world chess champion D Gukesh pipped Arjun Erigaisi to become new India No. 1

NEW DELHI: Heading into the 87th edition of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2025, the reigning world chess champion D Gukesh was ranked World No. 5 and India No. 2, trailing only Arjun Erigaisi.
However, the campaign in Wijk aan Zee began on a sour note for Arjun. He suffered a defeat in his opening game against compatriot Pentala Harikrishna.

A subsequent draw against Dutch No. 1 Anish Giri offered a glimmer of hope, but a crushing loss to R Praggnanandhaa dealt a severe blow to his aspirations of winning the prestigious tournament in the Netherlands.
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After five rounds, Arjun is still searching for his first victory and finds himself at the bottom of the Masters leaderboard, alongside fellow Indian player Leon Luke Mendonca, with just 1/5 points.
In contrast, Gukesh has continued to display the form that won him the world title. His performance has included victories over Anish Giri and Vincent Keymer, as well as draws against Fabiano Caruana, Vladimir Fedoseev, and Alexey Sarana.
The youngest-ever World Chess Champion remains undefeated since his historic triumph over China’s Ding Liren in Singapore last month.
Arjun entered January with a rating of 2801 but has dropped 21.5 points due to his struggles in Wijk aan Zee, lowering his live rating to 2779.5.
Meanwhile, Gukesh, who began the month at 2777, has gained 7 points during the Tata Steel Chess Tournament, lifting his live rating to 2784.
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As these standings could change by the time the tournament ends, with only five rounds completed at the moment, players will enjoy a rest day on January 23, offering both Arjun and Gukesh a chance to have a breathe.
But for now, D Gukesh has overtaken Arjun Erigaisi to become the new India No. 1.