Rubuta ci gaba ga wannan sakin layi - Bayan mutuwar mahaifinsa a 1427, Ivan ya zama Babban Yarima. Ya ci gaba da kyakkyawar dangantaka da manyan maƙwabtansa masu iko. A shekara ta 1429, ya halarci taron da aka yi a birnin Lutsk
kuma ya sanya Ryazan a cikin Grand Duchy na Lithuania karkashin Vytautas. Ya sanya hannu kan yarjejeniyar zaman lafiya tare da Vasily II na Moscow a 1447 kuma ya auri dansa kuma magaji ga 'yar Vasily. Kusa da mutuwarsa ya aika da 'ya'yansa biyu zuwa kotu a Moscow don aminci. A lokacin sarautar Ivan ne tsabar kudi daga Ryazan suka fara ɗauke da sunan babban duke.