R Praggnanandhaa Becomes World No. 1 in Live Chess Ratings
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa has reached the World No. 1 spot in the FIDE Live Ratings after a stunning victory in the Norway Chess tournament.
2-Minute Summary (TL;DR)
- R Praggnanandhaa reached World No. 1 in Live Ratings on May 10, 2026.
- He is the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to achieve this rank.
- The feat was achieved during the Norway Chess tournament.
- He became a Grandmaster at the age of 12, one of the youngest ever.
How This Topic is Tested in Competitive Exams
| Exam | Frequency | Approx. Marks | What Gets Asked |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSC (CGL / CHSL / MTS) | Medium | 2–4 | Sports awards, tournament winners, and India's records appear regularly in SSC. |
| Banking (IBPS / SBI) | Low | 1–2 | Rarely appears in banking exams unless linked to sponsorship or international finance. |
| Railway (RRB NTPC / Group D) | High | 3–6 | Cricket, badminton, chess, wrestling — Indian sports results are a reliable Railway GK topic. |
| State PCS / PSC | Medium | 2–4 | State-level sports achievements are featured in state exam papers. |
What to Memorize from This Topic
- Tournament: winner, runner-up, venue, year
- India's performance: medals won, rank, individual achievers
- Sports awards: Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award, Dronacharya Award recipients
- Records: new world or national records, who set them, when
- Appointment: new sports federation chief, national coaches, selectors
Practice Questions
Q1. Who was the first Indian to reach the World No. 1 rank in Chess?
- Pentala Harikrishna
- Vidit Gujrati
- Viswanathan Anand
- R Praggnanandhaa
Explanation: Viswanathan Anand was the first Indian to become the World No. 1 in chess ratings.
Q2. R Praggnanandhaa achieved the Live World No. 1 rank during which tournament?
- Tata Steel Chess
- Norway Chess
- Candidates Tournament
- World Cup
Explanation: He reached the top spot in live ratings during his performance at the Norway Chess tournament in 2026.
How to Prepare Sports for Government Exams
For Railway GK, keep a list of all major tournament winners from the past 12 months. Format: Tournament — Winner — Runner-up — Venue.
Khel Ratna, Arjuna, and Padma awardees in sports are very high-yield. Memorize the list for the current year.
Avoid memorizing every match result — focus only on finals, records, and firsts. This is what exams ask about.
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