President Droupadi Murmu has conferred the Arjuna Award 2025 on Indian chess grandmaster Vidit Santosh Gujrathi in recognition of his achievements in the sport and performances at major international tournaments.
has emerged as one of India’s leading chess players, with several notable achievements, including victories at the FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament and the World Under-14 Championship. He was also part of the Indian team that won its first outright gold medal in the open section of the 2024 FIDE Chess Olympiad in Budapest.
“President Droupadi Murmu confers Arjuna Award, 2025 on Shri Vidit Santosh Gujarathi in recognition of his outstanding achievements in Chess. Shri Vidit Santosh Gujarathi has achieved remarkable success in important international events such as FIDE Chess Olympiad, FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament and Asian Games,” the official handle of the President of India wrote on X.
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Here is a look at the chess grandmaster’s career, major achievements and current world ranking.
Born on October 24, 1994, Vidit Gujrathi is among the prominent Indian chess players of his generation. He earned the Grandmaster title in 2013 and subsequently entered the elite group of players with a classical chess rating above 2,700.
Over the years, he has established himself as a strong competitor in international tournaments, representing India in several prestigious individual and team competitions.
Gujrathi began attracting international attention at a young age. One of his early achievements came in 2008, when he won the World Under-14 Championship.
He continued to build his reputation through performances in major international tournaments. In 2018, he won the Tata Steel Challengers tournament, followed by victory at the Biel tournament in 2019.
His biggest individual breakthrough came in 2023, when he won the FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament. The victory secured his qualification for the 2024 Candidates Tournament, which determines the challenger for the world chess championship.
At the 2024 Candidates Tournament, Gujrathi finished sixth. However, one of his notable performances was defeating American grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura in both their classical encounters during the competition.
Another significant milestone in Gujrathi’s career came at the 2024 Chess Olympiad held in Budapest, Hungary.
He represented India on board four in the open section and scored an unbeaten 7.5 points from 10 games.
His contribution helped India secure its first outright gold medal in the open section of the Chess Olympiad, marking a historic achievement for Indian chess.
Gujrathi has also represented India at other major international competitions, including the Asian Games.
Gujrathi achieved his highest published classical chess rating of 2,747 in February 2024, placing him among the world’s leading players.
According to the November 2026 rating list, he has a classical rating of 2,693. He is ranked 35th globally and sixth among Indian players.
He has continued competing at the international level, including appearances at the 2026 Chess Olympiad and the Global Chess League.
