GMRaunak Sadhwani

Raunak Sadhwani grew up in Nagpur, where he first hoped to become a cricketer. Too young for the competitive cricket opportunities he wanted, he turned more seriously to the chess games he played with his father after work. His parents, Heena and Bharat, enrolled him in an academy and supported his tournament travel. His mother later managed entries and communication with trainers and organizers. He chose open schooling so that his education could fit around competition.

At nine he won the Commonwealth under-ten championship, and at eleven he finished third in India's under-nineteen championship. Swapnil Dhopade coached him during the transition from international master to grandmaster. Sadhwani completed the grandmaster requirements at the 2019 Isle of Man tournament, aged thirteen; FIDE's title history records the award in 2020. His results there included victories over Alexander Motylev and Sanan Sjugirov and a draw with Sergey Karjakin. He later trained through the WestBridge Anand Chess Academy and worked with Srinath Narayanan.

In 2022 he helped India's second team win bronze at the Chennai Olympiad. The following year he played second board for Magnus Carlsen's Offerspill team as it won the European Club Cup. He went unbeaten with three wins and four draws. Soon afterward he won the inaugural World Junior Rapid Championship in Pula and took silver in the blitz championship. Sadhwani has described calculation as central to his approach to chess, while remaining an enthusiastic cricket follower and recreational table-tennis player.