Arjun Vishnuvardhan

Arjun Vishnuvardhan (full name Chirukandath Manoj Arjun Vishnuvardhan, born (1990-08-21) August 21, 1990 (age 22)) is an Indian chess prodigy who is a young International Master in the United States of America. At his 15 years of age, in May 2006, he became the National Game-60 Chess Champion of the entire United States, by beating the top International Master Edward Formanek, a professor of mathematics in Pennsylvania University. This phenomenal victory over the top International Master made Arjun to become the youngest National Game 60 Champion of the United States. One month before his 17th birthday, Arjun became the youngest ever Keralite to become an International Master.

Arjun was born in Kerala, India and started playing chess when he was 8 years old. He was the State Champion for Under-18 years and Under-9 years. He posted the National record in India in the year of 2000, by becoming the youngest International FIDE rated player of the country.

In 2001, he won the British Junior Under-11 Championship held at Scarborough, United Kingdom. In 2002, Arjun won the Under-16 Youth Championship from Middle East. When he was 11, he again made the history in chess by defeating a Grandmaster, Iuldachev Saidali of Uzbekistan in a simultaneous chess competition held in the United Arab Emirates to become the youngest ever chess player of India to defeat a Grandmaster in a simul chess competition outside India.

After a break of one year from chess, he successfully came back to the International chess circuit in 2004. He tied for the North American & Caribbean Youth Championship title in the same year. In 2005, he became the Youth Chess Champion and the triple gold winner in the Biel Chess Festival, held at Switzerland. A few months later, he won another Youth title from Spain. From 2005 to 2007, he drew and defeated many International Masters and Grandmasters in various blitz, rapid and regular chess championships held in the United States, Switzerland, Spain, and elsewhere. He has an International Fide elo of 2394 on the 1 October 2007 World Chess Federation's rating list. He won 18 International chess medals at 16.

Arjun's younger brother, 15-year-old Gauri Shankar, is another young Indian chess prodigy and holds the record for being the youngest Indian to win more number of International chess medals for the country. Gauri has won 27 International chess medals at the age of 14 years.

Arjun has developed an extraordinary talent to play simultaneous blindfold chess, since his 11 years of age.

Read more about Arjun Vishnuvardhan:  Achievements