Arjun Vishnuvardhan

Arjun Vishnuvardhan (full name Chirukandath Manoj Arjun Vishnuvardhan, born ) is an Indian chess prodigy who is a young 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 the top International Master Edward Formanek, a professor of mathematics in Pennsylvania University. This phenomenal 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 again made the history in chess by defeating a Grandmaster, Iuldachev Saidali of Uzbekistan in a simultaneous chess competition held in the United Arab Emirates to become the youngest ever chess player of India to defeat a Grandmaster in a simul chess competition outside India.

After a break of one year from chess, he successfully came back to the International chess circuit in 2004. He...
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