March 2025 FIDE Rating List Updates: Gukesh Dommaraju Climbs to World Number-Three

World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju has reached a career-best world number-three ranking on the official March 2025 FIDE rating list. This achievement comes after his impressive performance at the 2025 Tata Steel Chess Masters, where he overtook established Grandmasters Fabiano Caruana and Arjun Erigaisi.

The tournament saw Gukesh narrowly miss out on the title to GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, who emerged victorious in a playoff. Despite this, Gukesh’s stellar performance throughout the event propelled him to the third spot in the world rankings.

The rise of these young Indian talents has been a highlight of the chess world, with Gukesh expressing his ambition to not only be the world champion but also the world number-one. Praggnanandhaa’s win at the Tata Steel Chess Masters also marked his return to the top-10 rankings for the first time since July 2024.

The tournament also witnessed disappointing performances from established players like Caruana and Arjun, who saw a drop in their rankings due to lackluster results. On the other hand, players like Vladimir Fedoseev, Anish Giri, and Alexey Sarana made significant gains in the ratings.

In the women’s category, the Monaco FIDE Women’s Grand Prix had implications on the ratings, with GM Tan Zhongyi’s performance affecting her ranking ahead of her upcoming world championship match against Ju Wenjun. Despite some fluctuations in the ratings, players like Bibisara Assaubayeva and Divya Deshmukh continue to showcase their talent on the international stage.

Overall, the March 2025 FIDE rating list reflects the dynamic nature of the chess world, with young talents making their mark and established players facing new challenges. The chess community eagerly awaits the next set of tournaments to see how the rankings will continue to evolve.