Pragg closes in on Ding: FIDE Circuit leaderboard
World No. 8 GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu (India) closed in on former world champion GM Ding Liren (China) in the FIDE Circuit points leading up to the next Candidates qualification. Prague Masters winner GM Aravindh Chithambaram (India) joined the bandwagon and is in third spot behind Ding & Pragg.
By virtue of finishing runner-up in the World Championship 2024 at Singapore GM Ding Liren got 40.64 FIDE Ciruit points and continues to be on top of the table. In post world championship match interviews Ding indicated that he may not be running behind the FIDE Circuit points & would rather look into either FIDE Grand Swiss or FIDE World Cup for securing the Candidates slot.
A defeat in the last round at Prague pushed GM Praggnanandhaa from title contention, but he got 11.06 FIDE Circuit points which helped him close in on GM Ding Liren. With 36.06 points Pragg is just 4 points behind Ding. A new entrant into the FIDE Circuit leaderboard is GM Aravindh Chithambaram who’s now in third place behind Pragg. Thanks to his stunning title victory at Prague Masters 2025 GM Aravindh secured 24.34 FIDE Circuit points and is now in behind in GMs Ding and Praggnanandhaa.
With ten months remaining this year, it could be anyone’s race but young lions viz., GMs Praggnanandhaa, Aravindh, Abdusattorov etc aren’t going to give in easily to Circuit veterans Ian Nepomniatchtchi, Anish Giri etc., Among the eight qualifying slots for the Candidates so far only GM Fabiano Caruana (USA) confirmed his place through FIDE Circuit points in 2024.
The seven remaining Candidates spots are decided through:
(a) three from FIDE World Cup 2025
(b) two from FIDE Grand Swiss 2025
(c) one from FIDE Circuit 2025
(d) one by Rating
Pictures courtesy: Prague Chess Festival & FIDE (International Chess Federation)
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