Format
PR
Palathingal, Rafael
CM🇺🇸FIDE 39927580· Male· United States of America· Born in 2014
Follow Rafael PalathingalTrack his monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more.
Rafael Palathingal, a 12-year-old American Candidate Master, is rated 2013 and sitting in the top 1% of players worldwide under 12. He is on a breakout run, having gained +139 Elo over the past 12 months. 152 rated games in the past year (≈107/year long-term). Recent standard appearances include 2026 May Grand Knights FIDE Challenge - Open, 2026 Intermat Candidates Chess Tournament - 6th Grade, and 2026 Washington President's Cup - Kennedy Open. Also played 2 rapid (including FUTURE CHESS ACADEMY'S International FIDE Rated Open Rapid Chess Tournament) and 7 blitz events (including 2025 Walter Browne Memorial National Open Blitz Championship) recently. His peak of 2108 was reached at age 11 (Sep 2025).
Awarded CM in 2025 (age 11). At junior level, he reached World #73 in U12 and World #57 in U10.
Current rating
2013
Standard
Rpd1861·Blz1916
All-time high
2108
−95 pts below
Sep 2025 · age 11
Sep 2025 · age 11
Activity
104
games / yr avg. · ≈9/mo
144 past 12 mo · ≈12/mo
classical only
Very active
classical only
Very active
Signature stat
Top 1%
#157 · players worldwide under 12 · of 14,529
Career timeline
12 entries2026
Re-crossed 2000
at age 12
Jun 2026
Re-crossed 2000
at age 12
Jan 2026
2025
73rd U12 player worldwide
at age 11 · rated 2108
Sep 2025
CM title awardedCM
at age 11
Sep 2025
Best 12-month gain (+286 Elo)
1822 → 2108
Sep 2025
Crossed 2100
at age 11
Sep 2025
Standard rating history
Peak
FIDE title
Threshold
First rated
Activity & highlights
Evolution
+129
1884 → 2013
Tournaments
21
135 games
Score
70/ 13551.9%
49W42D44L
Top 3 wins
Top 3 losses
Last 12 months — tournaments
12 events| Event | Date | Score | Rank | Perf | Δ Elo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Swiss | May 2026 | 3.5/6 | #23 | 1960 | -6.4 |
Swiss | May 2026 | 3/4 | #2 | 2117 | +28.0 |
Swiss | May 2026 | 3/4 | #30 | 2187 | +2.8 |
Swiss | Mar 2026 | 4.5/5 | #1 | 2130 | +30.4 |
Swiss | Feb 2026 | 3/5 | #10 | 1893 | -13.2 |
Round-Robin | Feb 2026 | 5/9 | #5 | 1992 | +19.2 |
Open Swiss | Jan 2026 | 4/7 | #10 | 2102 | +27.4 |
Round-Robin | Jan 2026 | 1.5/5 | #5 | 1866 | -27.7 |
Open Swiss | Dec 2025 | 3/9 | #99 | 1866 | -47.5 |
Swiss | Dec 2025 | 3/5 | #12 | 2008 | +9.6 |
Most-Played Opponents
vsAkim Pikh
🇺🇦UKR·1905
+7 −0 =1
8 games·last met May 2026
View head-to-head →
vsVidip KonaCM
🇺🇸USA·2206
+0 −6 =2
8 games·last met Jan 2026
View head-to-head →
vsTed WangFM
🇺🇸USA·2195
+0 −5 =2
7 games·last met May 2026
View head-to-head →
vsStephen WillyFM
🇺🇸USA·2281
+0 −5 =1
6 games·last met May 2026
View head-to-head →
vsM Siddarth
🇮🇳IND·2243
+1 −5 =0
6 games·last met May 2026
View head-to-head →
Rankings
/
United States of America
#711
out of 5,510 players
Americas
#2,674
in continent
World
#25,537
out of 400,000+
National ranking
Europe & World
Europe
World
United States of America
| 1 | 🇺🇸Follow Hikaru NakamuraTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,792 |
| 1 | 🇺🇸Follow Fabiano CaruanaTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,792 |
| 3 | 🇺🇸Follow Wesley SoTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,753 |
| 4 | 🇺🇸Follow Hans Moke NiemannTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,742 |
| 5 | 🇺🇸Follow Leinier Dominguez PerezTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,732 |
| 6 | 🇺🇸Follow Levon AronianTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,724 |
| 7 | 🇺🇸Follow Awonder LiangTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,696 |
| 7 | 🇺🇸Follow Samuel SevianTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,696 |
| 9 | 🇺🇸Follow Jeffery XiongTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,656 |
| 10 | 🇺🇸Follow Ray RobsonTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,653 |
| ... | ||
| 711 | 2,013 | |
Americas
| 1 | 🇺🇸Follow Hikaru NakamuraTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,792 |
| 1 | 🇺🇸Follow Fabiano CaruanaTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,792 |
| 3 | 🇺🇸Follow Wesley SoTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,753 |
| 4 | 🇺🇸Follow Hans Moke NiemannTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,742 |
| 5 | 🇺🇸Follow Leinier Dominguez PerezTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,732 |
| 6 | 🇺🇸Follow Levon AronianTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,724 |
| 7 | 🇺🇸Follow Awonder LiangTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,696 |
| 7 | 🇺🇸Follow Samuel SevianTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,696 |
| 9 | 🇺🇸Follow Jeffery XiongTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,656 |
| 10 | 🇺🇸Follow Ray RobsonTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,653 |
| ... | ||
| 2674 | 2,013 | |
World
| 1 | 🇳🇴Follow Magnus CarlsenTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,841 |
| 2 | 🇺🇸Follow Hikaru NakamuraTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,792 |
| 2 | 🇺🇸Follow Fabiano CaruanaTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,792 |
| 4 | 🇺🇿Follow Nodirbek AbdusattorovTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,777 |
| 4 | 🇺🇿Follow Javokhir SindarovTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,777 |
| 6 | 🇩🇪Follow Vincent KeymerTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,767 |
| 7 | 🇳🇱Follow Anish GiriTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,764 |
| 8 | 🇮🇳Follow Erigaisi ArjunTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,761 |
| 9 | 🇺🇸Follow Wesley SoTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,753 |
| 9 | 🇨🇳Follow Yi WeiTrack their monthly FIDE ratings, games, tournaments and more. | 2,753 |
| ... | ||
| 25537 | 2,013 | |