Praggnanandhaa extends lead in FIDE Circuit Rankings, eyes World Championship clash with Gukesh

Indian GM R Praggnanandhaa extended his lead in the 2025 FIDE Circuit leaderboard by 28 points after winning the Superbet Chess Classic Romania. With strong performances this year, he is emerging as a top contender to qualify for the Candidates Tournament and eventually earn a chance to challenge reigning world champion D Gukesh.

Indian Grandmaster
R Praggnanandhaa
has strengthened his grip at the top of the 2025 FIDE Circuit leaderboard after his first-ever Grand Chess Tour title at Superbet Classic 2025_._ He is now leading with a solid 28-point margin over the rest of the players. The 19-year-old has emerged as a serious contender for next year’s Candidates Tournament, thanks to his consistent performances this season.

The FIDE Circuit is a points-based system introduced to decide one of the spots for the Candidates Tournament, which decides who will play in the World Chess Championship. Indian Grandmaster
D Gukesh
is the current world champion title holder after he defeated China’s Ding Liren last year. The player who wins the Candidates in 2026 will challenge Gukesh.

He has now collected valuable points from multiple tournaments throughout the season, building a strong case for a Candidates seat. The gap between him and the second-placed Ding Liren is 27.76 points. With several events still left in the year, Praggnanandhaa will be hoping to keep the momentum going.

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