Arjun Vishnuvardhan also known as Chirukandath Manoj Arjun Vishnuvardhan was born on 21st August in the year 1990. This 17 year old Indian chess prodigy is a young International Master in the United States of America. In may 2006, at his 15 years of age, this chess wizard, after beating the top International Master Edward Formanek became the National Game-60 Chess Champion of the integral United States. Edward Formanek is a professor of Mathematics in Pennsylvania University in USA. Arjun became the most youthful National Game 60 Champion of the United States with this phenomenal victory over the top IM. Arjun at the age of 16 years and 11 months, became the most vernal ever Keralite to become an International Master.

Arjun started playing chess at the tender age of 8. For Under-18 years and Under-9 years age group, he was the State Champion but he was below 9-years at that time. In the year of 2000, by becoming the youngest International FIDE rated player of the country, he posted the National record in India. He won the British Junior Under-11 Championship in the year 2001. the tournament was held at Scarborough, UK. In the very next year, Arjun won the Under-16 Youth Championship which was held at Middle East. He again made the history in chess when he was just 11-years and few months old. In a co-occurrent chess contention held in UAE, he has defeated Grandmaster Iuldachev Saidali of Uzbekistan and become the youngest chess player of India ever to vote out a Grandmaster outside of India in a simul chess competition.

This chess wizard after a break of one year from chess, in the year 2004 came back to the International chess circuit. This time, the world experienced a tremendous form of him. In the same year, he tied for the North American & Caribbean Youth Championship title. He became the Youth Chess Champion in the year 2005. In the Biel Chess Festival, held at Switzerland, he became the triple gold winner. Another Youth title after a few months, he won from Spain. In between the year 2005 to 2007, he drew and overcame lot of International Masters and Grandmasters in various play, rapid and regular chess championships. These championships were held at USA, Switzerland, Spain and other parts of the world. As on 13th of August 2007, he has an International Fide elo of 2325. At the age of 16 years, he won 18 International chess medals as on 13th August 2007.

The achievements which he has achieved through out his small career are: 1. By his 16 years of age Arjun became an International Master; 2. He has been the youngest ever Keralite to become an International Master; 3. At the age of 9, he was the youngest Indian to get the International rating; 4. British Junior chess champion 2001, Scarbrough,UK; 5. Middle East under-16 junior chess champion 2002,UAE; 6. North American Youth co-champion,USA, 2004; 7. Runner-up in the US Junior Open, USA 2005; 8. Winner of Cajun and Space Coast open under-2400 section, Florida, USA; 9. He has been the Triple Crown winner in the Biel International chess festival held at Switzerland,2005; 10. In the International Chess Championship, Spain held in the year 2005, he has won the under-16 title in the 2300 rating section; 11. Runner-up in the Chicago International Open (Expert Section)2006; 12. 2006 National Game 60 Chess Champion of the United States; 13. The record of being the youngest National G/60 chess champion of USA, he holds by beating the International Master Edward Formanek in the year 2006; 14. He achieved the title of Rinner Up won the runner up title and won his first IM Norm in the First Saturday IM Tournament May 2007, from Hungary; 15. He tied for the runner up title in June 2007 in the World Open; 16. He became the champion in the First Saturday IM A Tournament; 17. Won the title of the Best Non Titled player in the Biel chess festival Grand Master Open in Switzerland,2007; 18. At the age of only 16 he is the holder of 18 International chess medals; 19. The famous Grandmasters Dusan Popovich (Serbia),Silvino Garcia (Cuba), Antic Dejan (Serbia), Iuldachev Saidali (Uzbekistan) Julio Becerra (USA) were defeated recently by him. And he also drew with Grandmasters Dimitry Gurevich (USA), Anatoly Lein (USA), Vitali Golod (Israel), Mikhail Ulibin (Russia), Kostic Vladimir (Serbia), Ciric Dragoljub (Yugoslavia) and Ivan Nemet (Switzerland) in the various International blitz, rapid and regular chess tournaments. This kind of victory is really an unusual accomplishment among junior chess players.

14 year old Gauri Shankar, Arjun`s younger brother, is a young Indian chess prodigy who also holds the record for being the youngest Indian, for the country, to win more number of International chess medals. At the age of 14 years, Gauri has won 26 International chess medals. Since his 11 years of age, Arjun has developed an extraordinary talent to play cooccurring blindfold chess.