Telangana’s GM Raja Rithvik wins silver at Menuires International Chess Championship

Telangana Grandmaster Raja Rithvik won the silver medal at the Menuires International Chess Championship in France after finishing unbeaten with seven points from nine rounds. He lost the title to compatriot Rohith Krishna on the tie-break despite defeating higher-rated Maxime Lagarde in the final round.

Hyderabad: Telangana’s GM Raja Rithvik settled for a silver in the prestigious Menuires International Chess Championship, held in Menuires, France.

Entering the tournament as the fourth seed, the Hyderabad-based Rithvik scored an impressive seven points from nine rounds in a highly competitive field that featured 86 top players from across the globe, including France, India, China, Germany, Poland, Netherlands and Italy.
Rithvik remained unbeaten throughout the championship, securing five wins and four draws.

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The championship witnessed a thrilling all-India race to the top. Both GM Rohith Krishna and GM Raja Rithvik finished tied at the pole position with seven points each. Following a close tie-break calculation, GM Rohith Krishna (tie-break score of 43) claimed the gold, while GM Raja Rithvik (tie-break score of 41.5) earned the silver.

France’s GM Omelja Artem secured the bronze with 6.5 points.

In a dramatic final ninth round, playing with black pieces, GM Raja Rithvik (Rating: 2521) pulled off a spectacular victory by defeating the much higher-rated French Grandmaster Lagarde Maxime (Rating: 2622), sealing his podium finish in style.

Rithvik, who is currently pursuing his Engineering degree at KL University, Hyderabad, undergoes advanced training at the RACE Chess Academy under the guidance of renowned coach N. Rama Raju, and receives online coaching from Super GM Alexander Goloshchapov of Ukraine.

Telangana Chess Association warmly congratulated GM Raja Rithvik on this magnificent international achievement. Raja Rithvik continues to bring immense pride to Telangana and India. Rithvik’s unbeaten run in France, capped off by a phenomenal final-round win against a 2600+ rated player, proves his world-class caliber.

Having already represented the country at the FIDE Chess World Cup 2025 in Goa and won numerous medals at the National, Commonwealth, and Asian levels, this Silver Medal is yet another milestone in his illustrious career.