Raja Rithvik R
{{Short description|Indian chess grandmaster (born 2004)}}
{{Indian name|Raja Rithvik|Rajavaram}}
{{Infobox chess player
|image = Raja rithvik mugshot.jpg
| country = India
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2004|5|4}}
| birth_place = Hyderabad, India
| title = Grandmaster (2022){{cite web|url=https://ratings.fide.com/crt/main229350.pdf|title=FIDE Title Application (GM)}}
| peakrating = 2557 (June 2025)
| FideID = 35007394
}}
Raja Rithvik Rajavaram is an Indian chess grandmaster. He became a grandmaster at the age of 17.
Career
In June 2018, he defeated grandmaster Valeriy Neverov (who was rated 200 points higher) in an upset in the fifth round of the 11th Mumbai Mayor's International Chess Tournament.{{cite web|url=https://scroll.in/field/881674/mumbai-mayors-cup-chess-raja-rithvik-upsets-gm-neverov-valeriy |title=Mumbai Mayor’s Cup chess: Raja Rithvik upsets GM Neverov Valeriy|date=June 6, 2018}}
In August 2021, he achieved his second GM norm after defeating grandmaster Valentina Gunina at the Skalica Chess Festival and finishing in second place in the event.{{cite web|url=https://www.chessbase.in/news/IM-Raja-Rithvik-scores-his-second-GM-norm-at-Skalica-Open-Leon-finishes-third-in-Masters|title=IM Raja Rithvik scores second GM-norm at Skalica Open, Leon finishes third in Masters|first=Shahid|last=Ahmed|date=September 6, 2021}}
In September 2021, he completed all of the requirements for the Grandmaster title by surpassing the 2500 rating mark at the Vezerkepzo GM Tournament in Budapest. He became India's 70th Grandmaster.{{cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/raja-rithvik-becomes-a-grandmaster/article36545336.ece|title=Raja Rithvik becomes a Grandmaster|date=September 19, 2021}}
In December 2022, he won the Chessable Sunway Sitges Blitz tournament with an undefeated score of 8.5/9.{{cite web|url=https://www.chessbase.in/news/9th-Chessable-Sunway-Sitges-Blitz-18-12-report |title=Raja Rithvik decimates 9th Chessable Sunway Sitges Blitz 18/12, Adhiban third|first=Shahid|last=Ahmed|date=December 20, 2022}}
In January 2023, he was leading the Rilton Cup after the fifth round.{{cite web|url=https://en.chessbase.com/post/rilton-cup-indian-grandmaster-raja-rithvik-leads-after-five-rounds |title=Rilton Cup: Indian Grandmaster Raja Rithvik leads after five rounds|first=Andre|last=Schulz|date=January 2, 2023}}
In April 2023, he was a joint leader after the fifth round of the Chessable Sunway Formentera.{{cite web|url=https://www.chessbase.in/news/2nd-Chessable-Sunway-Formentera-2023-Round-5-report |title=2nd Chessable Sunway Formentera R5: Raja Rithvik and Pranav Venkatesh make it a five-way lead|first=Shahid|last=Ahmed|date=April 23, 2023}}
In March 2024, he won the silver medal in the Indian National Blitz Chess Championship, finishing behind Diptayan Ghosh in a field of over 220 players.{{cite web|url=https://telanganatoday.com/telanganas-rithvik-bags-silver-at-national-blitz-chess-championship |title=Telangana’s Rithvik bags silver at National Blitz Chess Championship|date=March 7, 2024}}
Personal life
Raja Rithvik's parents are Srinivasa Rao Rajavaram, an Electrical Engineer, and Deepika. Srinivasa Rao is originally from Manthani in the combined Karimnagar district of Telangana. Deepika was working as a lecturer but left her job to support Raja Rithvik's chess journey. Rithvik spent his formative years in Warangal. Raja Rithvik is an engineering student at KL University in Hyderabad.
References
{{reflist}}
{{Indian grandmasters}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rajavaram, Raja Rithvik}}