Rithvik, the Asian chess Raja

Hyderabad: Telangana State’s rising young chess talent, R Raja Rithvik, has delivered, yet again. And this time it was on Tuesday in the Thailand province of Chiangmai.

The championship was a fruitful one for the State as its team returned with five medals, overall. For one who has mastered the winning moves with rare dexterity and has been outwitting opponents ranked higher and more seasoned, the newest crowing glories are in the Under-14 category at the prestigious Asian Youth Chess Championship-2018.

He pocketed the Classical and Blitz titles with nonchalant ease. An indication of his dominance is that the ninth standard student of Orchids International School in Jubilee Hills was the only undefeated player in the tournament.Rithvik aggregated 7.5 points from nine rounds in Classical format while defeating Ngo Duc Tri of Vietnam in the final round. He did a step better in the Blitz championship, where he accumulated eight points.

It is a major tournament for achieving continental glory as vying for honours were competitors from around 25 nations, including China, Vietnam, Singapore, Iran, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan and Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, following the stupendous achievement, Rithvik will now represent India in the Commonwealth Chess Championship at New Delhi in June and the more prestigious World Youth Chess Championship to be held in Greece in September.

‘I am delighted that I could prove my worth on such an important platform. This will propel my morale to newer levels, from where I hope I can prove a point of two when confronted with future challenges. Apart from my parents, coach and elders for always being the pillars of support, I wish to thank the management of Orchids International School for providing academic flexibility to prepare for tournaments. Of course, I accord equal time towards my quest for excellence in studies,’ said Raja Rithvik in his hour of glory.

Rithvik enjoys an Elo rating of 2280 points, which is ample indication of his prowess. He trains under the city-based NVS Rama Raju.
Rithvik, who has won the appreciation of his seniors from over for his sharpness across the board, is no stranger to podium finishes or when it comes to taking the spotlight in reputed tournaments, both national and international.

He has achieved top positions and won medals in Commonwealth Chess Championship-2012, Asian Schools Rapid Championship-2012, National Schools Championship in June, 2013 and Asian School Chess Championship-2015, to name a few of the bigger triumphs.Rithvik created history when as a 13-year-old he won both Under-13 and 17 titles in the same year (2017) to announce his arrival on to the big league.

Meanwhile, Telangana State Chess Association (TSCA) President A Narasimha Reddy, Secretary KS Prasad and Vice-President Major KA Shiva Prasad hailed the brilliant mind and hoped that he would continue with such grand conquests in all his future engagements.