HYDERABAD: Telangana chess prodigy Raja Rithvik secured the silver medal at the Laplagne International Chess Championship held in France on Saturday with a score of seven points out of nine rounds.
Hailing from Manthani, Peddapalli, the 20-year-old remained undefeated throughout the tournament, winning in five games and drawing four against 184 players representing 22 countries. With a live FIDE rating of 2,511, Rithvik stands globally in the 778th position and 41st in India. He is India’s 70th Grandmaster.
Another Indian bags bronze
GM Moussard Jules of France claimed the championship title with 7.5 points, exceeding Rithvik’s score by half a point. Another Indian player, GM Iniyan Panneerselvam, secured the bronze medal with seven points. The final round game between Jules and Rithvik concluded in a draw after 28 moves.
Currently pursuing engineering at KL University in Hyderabad, Rithvik trains under the guidance of renowned coach N Rama Raju at the RACE Chess Academy. Coach Raju has played a significant role in the development of world no. 4 Arjun Erigaisi and Grandmaster Dronavalli Harika from 2016 to 2019.
Additionally, Rithvik is also receiving online coaching from Ukraine’s Alexander Goloshchapov, a renowned coach credited with helping 10 Indians achieve Grandmaster status.
President of the Telangana State Chess Association KS Prasad extended his congratulations to Rithvik for his outstanding achievement.
Earlier this year in March, Rithvik had already showcased his talent by winning a silver medal in the National Blitz Championship and a bronze medal in the National Rapid Championship.