Telangana’s GM Raja Rithvik qualifies for World Cup chess

GM Raja Rithvik of Telangana finished sixth in the Asian Individual Chess Championship, qualifying for the 2025 FIDE World Cup. The 21-year-old engineering student scored 6.5 points, showcasing skill and resilience

Hyderabad: GM Raja Rithvik of Telangana may have finished sixth in the Asian Individual chess championship in UAE but he made it immensely satisfying by making it to the Indian team for the 2025 FIDE World Cup to be held in November 2025.

For the record, the other Indians to make it to the World Cup from the Asian championship from India include GM Nihar Sarin, GM Iniyan Pa, GM Raja Rithvik, GM S.L. Narayanan and GM M. Pranesh because the top 10 players qualify for the World Cup as per the FIDE rules.

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Raja Rithvik settled for sixth place by scoring 6.5 points out of nine rounds in prestigious Asian Individual Chess Championship, winning five games, drawing three and losing one and the meet featured 154 top players from 33 countries such as Philippines, Japan, China, Malaysia, Qatar, Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, UAE, Nepal, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea etc have participated.

The 21-year-old Rithvik, who got the GM title in 2021 to be the 70th GM from India and now a student of Engineering in KL University, Hyderabad, has been undergoing advanced training at RACE Chess Academy under N. Rama Raju, who also trained the likes of GM Dronavalli Harika, besides taking online coaching from GM Alexander Goloshchapov from Ukraine.

“The Asian Individual Chess Championship was a true test of skill and resilience with best players from across the continent. To emerge in the top ranks and earn a place among the world’s elite at the World Cup is a dream come true for me,” said Rithvik.

The parents Srinivasa Rao Rajavaram, an Electrical Engineer, and Deepika, are from Manthani and the mother had to quit her lecturer’s job to support Rithvik’s passion for chess.

Some notable achievements of Rithvik include winning silver in the 2024 Laplagne International Chess Championship-2024 in France and a bronze in 2025 Cappelle International Chess Championship.

The gifted young player also got silver in the National Blitz Championship and got a bronze in the 2024 National Rapid Championship.

Telangana State Chess Association Secretary A. Jaya Chandra was among those who congratulated Rithvik on his achievement and hoped he would come back with a medal in the World Cup.