Arjun Vishnuvardhan

Chirukandath Manoj Arjun Vishnuvardhan (born 21 August 1990), generally known as Arjun Vishnuvardhan, is an Indian chess player who is an 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 International Master Edward W. Formanek. This 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 beat Uzbekistani Grandmaster Saidali Iuldachev in a simultaneous chess exhibition held in the United Arab Emirates, thus becoming the youngest ever Indian chess player to defeat a grandmaster in a chess simultaneous exhibition held 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 has played simultaneous blindfold chess since his 11 years of age.

Achievements

1. Became an International Master by his 16 years of age.
2. Youngest ever Keralite to become an International Master.
3. Youngest Indian to get the International rating at the age of 9.
4. British Junior chess champion 2001, Scarborough, United Kingdom.
5. Middle East under-16 Junior chess champion 2002, United Arab Emirates.
6. North American Youth co-champion, United States, 2004.
7. Runner-up in the US Junior Open, United States, 2005.
8. Winner of Cajun and Space Coast open under-2400 section, Florida, United States.
9. Triple Crown winner in the Biel International chess festival, Switzerland, 2005.
10. He won the under-16 title in the 2300 rating section in the International Chess Championship, Spain, 2005.
11. Runner-up in the Chicago International Open (Expert Section), 2006.
12. National Game 60 Chess Champion of the United States, 2006.
13. Held the record of being the youngest National G/60 chess champion of USA, by beating the International Master Edward Formanek, 2006.
14. Won the runner-up title and his first IM Norm in the First Saturday IM Tournament, May 2007, Hungary.
15. Arjun tied for the runner up title in the World Open, and won his Second IM Norm, United States, June 2007.
16. He became the champion in the First Saturday IM A Tournament and won his final IM Norm from Budapest, Hungary in July 2007.
17. Best non-titled player in the Biel chess festival Grand Master Open, Switzerland, 2007.
18. Holder of 18 International chess medals at the age of 16 years.
19. Defeated the Grandmasters Dusan Popovich (Serbia), Silvino Garcia (Cuba), Dejan Antic (Serbia), Saidali Iuldachev (Uzbekistan), Julio Becerra (United States), and drew with Grandmasters Dmitry Gurevich (United States), Anatoly Lein (United States), Vitali Golod (Israel), Mikhail Ulibin (Russia), Vladimir Kostic (Serbia), Dragoljub Ciric (Yugoslavia) and Ivan Nemet (Switzerland) in the various International blitz, rapid and regular chess tournaments, unusual achievement among junior chess players.