Indian Grandmasters S Rohith Krishna and Raja Rithvik swept the top honours at the inaugural Menuires International Chess Championship, held from July 11 to 18, 2026, at Le Break des Menuires in the French Alps. Both players finished unbeaten with seven points from nine rounds, but Rohith’s superior tie-break score of 43 against Rithvik’s 41.5 earned him the gold medal. The tournament, organised in partnership with the Echecs Club de Corbas Mions, featured 86 players from across the world and carried a total prize fund of €25,000.
The Tournament at a Glance
The Menuires International Chess Championship was the first edition of an open chess tournament held at the Les Menuires ski resort in the Savoie region of southeastern France. The event featured three separate sections: the Maitres (for players with a FIDE rating of 1900 and above), the Accession (1550 to 2000), and the Avenir (under 1600). Rohith Krishna and Raja Rithvik competed in the Maitres section, the most competitive category of the tournament.
The championship used the standard FIDE time control of 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the remainder of the game, with a 30-second increment per move from move one. A total of 86 players from countries including France, India, China, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, and Italy participated in the Maitres section. France’s GM Omelja Artem finished third with 6.5 points. The event was a FIDE-rated tournament, meaning all results contributed to the players’ international rating calculations.
S Rohith Krishna: Tamil Nadu’s Rising Grandmaster
S Rohith Krishna, a 20-year-old from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, became India’s 89th Grandmaster in August 2025, achieving his final GM norm at the Almaty Masters in Kazakhstan with a rating performance of 2638. He earned all three required GM norms within just six months, a remarkable feat that underscored his rapid ascent in the chess world.
Born on December 26, 2005, in Chennai, Rohith started playing chess in 2013. He is currently pursuing an engineering degree from SSN College of Engineering in Chennai. His current FIDE rating is 2489 as of July 2026, with a peak rating of 2516 achieved in July 2025. At the Menuires championship, his tie-break score of 43 proved decisive in securing the gold medal ahead of his compatriot.
Raja Rithvik: Telangana’s Chess Prodigy
Raja Rithvik Rajavaram, a 22-year-old from Hyderabad, Telangana, is India’s 70th Grandmaster, having earned the title in 2022 at the age of 17. He completed his GM norms at the Skalica Chess Festival in Slovakia and the Vezerkepzo GM Tournament in Budapest, where he crossed the 2500 rating threshold in September 2021. He is the second Grandmaster from Telangana after GM Dronavalli Harika (who is also a Women’s World Championship medalist and an Arjuna Awardee).
Born on May 4, 2004, in Hyderabad, Rithvik spent his formative years in Warangal and is currently pursuing an engineering degree at KL University, Hyderabad. He trains at RACE Chess Academy under coach N. Rama Raju and also receives online coaching from Ukrainian Super GM Alexander Goloshchapov. His current FIDE rating is 2521 as of July 2026, with a peak rating of 2557 achieved in June 2025.
At the Menuires championship, Rithvik, seeded fourth, played an impressive unbeaten campaign, winning five games and drawing four. He ended the tournament on a high note by defeating higher-rated French Grandmaster Maxime Lagarde (Elo 2622) with the black pieces in the final round. The Telangana Chess Association congratulated him on his silver medal, highlighting his unbeaten run and the quality of his victory over a 2600-rated opponent.
India’s Golden Era in Chess
India is currently experiencing a golden period in chess. As of 2026, the country has 93 Grandmasters, a remarkable increase from just one when Viswanathan Anand became India’s first GM in 1988. The rise has been particularly sharp in recent years, driven by a robust tournament ecosystem, increased corporate sponsorship, and the inspirational legacy of Anand.
The current generation includes world number two D Gukesh (Elo 2776), who became the youngest-ever world champion in 2025, and Arjun Erigaisi and R Praggnanandhaa, who are both consistently ranked among the top players globally. The fact that two Indian GMs swept gold and silver at an international open in France underscores the depth of talent emerging from India’s chess ecosystem, particularly from the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Telangana.
Key Takeaways
- S Rohith Krishna from Tamil Nadu won the gold medal at the inaugural Menuires International Chess Championship held at Le Break des Menuires, France, in July 2026.
- Both Rohith Krishna and Raja Rithvik finished unbeaten with 7 points from 9 rounds, with Rohith winning on tie-break (43 vs 41.5).
- Rohith Krishna became India’s 89th Grandmaster in August 2025 at age 19 and is currently pursuing engineering at SSN College of Engineering, Chennai.
- Raja Rithvik Rajavaram is India’s 70th Grandmaster, having earned the title in 2022 at age 17, and is the second GM from Telangana.
- India has 93 Grandmasters as of 2026, up from just one (Viswanathan Anand) in 1988.
