Harika Dronavalli is an Indian female chess grandmaster. She has been playing chess since she was a child and has played in more than 40 countries. She won several chess tournaments and received many awards.
Wiki/Biography
Harika Dronavalli was born on Saturday, January 12, 1991 (32 years old; as of 2023) in Golantra, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India. Her zodiac sign is Capricorn. She attended Sri Venkateswara Bala Kuteer School in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. She started playing chess at the age of 7. Her parents are teaching her sister to play chess. However, she became interested in chess and decided to pursue it as a career.
Harika Dronavalli with her parents at age 9
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′ 9″
Hair color: black
Eye color: black
family
Parents and siblings
Her father’s name is Ramesh Dronavalli and mother’s name is Swarna Dronavalli. Her father works as deputy executive engineer in Panchayat Raj division of Mangalagiri. She has a sister Anusha who is married to Telugu film director KS Ravindra (popularly known as Bobby).
Harika’s sister Anusha, Harika Dronavalli, Harika’s mother Swarna, Harika’s father Ramesh, Harika’s husband Karteek Chandra and Harika’s brother-in-law (Anusha’s husband) KS Ravindra (Bobby) (from right to left)
husband and children
Harika got married to Hyderabad businessman Karteek Chandra on August 19, 2019. On August 24, 2022, the couple welcomed a daughter named Hanvika.
Harika Dronavalli and her husband Karteek Chandra
Say hello to our little princess Hanvika 🙋♀️❤️🧿✨ pic.twitter.com/ndk7GRw5j6
— Harika Dronavali (@HarikaDronavali) September 8, 2022
religion
She follows Hinduism.
Profession
Her career has been extensive, spanning nearly 20 years. She started training in chess at the age of 7 under NVS Ramaraju; she participated in the Under-9 National Championships and won a medal. She won a medal in the Under-10 Championships in 2000. She has participated in 9 Chess Olympiads and many national and international championships in the Under-12, Under-14, Under-16 and Under-18 age groups. She has participated in different Asian Women’s Chess Championships and other competitions held around the world. At the age of 13, she became the youngest Indian girl on the Indian Women’s Chess Olympiad team. In 2003, she became the youngest Women’s International Master (WIM) from the Asian continent. In 2004, she became the youngest female grandmaster in the Asian continent. In 2007, she became an International Master (IM). On July 23, 2011, she became the second Grandmaster (GM) among Indian women chess players. Even in her late pregnancy, she competed in chess tournaments.
medal
gold
- 2002: Asian Under-12 Girls Chess Championship, Iran
- 2002: Asian U-18 Women’s Chess Championship, Bikaner
- 2003: Member of Team India – Asian Women’s Chess Team Championship, Jodhpur – Individual Gold Medal in the 4th Game
- 2004: World Youth Championship U-14 Girls, Greece
- 2004: Commonwealth U-18 Women’s Chess Championship, Mumbai
- 2006: World Youth Championship U-18 Girls, Georgia
- 2006: Commonwealth Women’s Chess Championship, Mumbai
- 2007: Commonwealth Women’s Chess Championship, New Delhi
- 2007: Asian Women’s Chess Division Championship, Bangladesh
- 2007: Member of Team India – 2nd Asian Indoor Games, Macau – Rapid Chess Team
- 2007: Member of Indian Team – 2nd Asian Indoor Games, Macau – Women’s Rapid Chess Individual Competition
- 2008: World Women’s Junior Chess Championship, Türkiye
- 2009: Captain of Indian Women’s Team – Asian Women’s Chess Team Championship, Kolkata – Individual Gold Medal
- 2010: Commonwealth Women’s Chess Championship, New Delhi
- 2011: Asian Women’s Chess Championship, Iran
- 2014: Member of Indian Team – Asian Women’s Chess Team Championship Iranian Team – Individual Gold Medal
- 2015: World Women’s Online Blitz Championship, Rome
- 2016: FIDE Women’s Grand Prix, Chengdu
- 2016: Member of Team India – Asian Women’s Chess Team Championship in UAE – Individual Gold Medal in Quick Event
silver
- 2000: Spain U-10 Girls World Youth Chess Championship
- 2001: Asian Under-12 Girls Chess Championship, Bikaner
- 2002: Spain U-12 Girls World Youth Chess Championship
- 2003: Asian Women’s Chess Championship, Calicut
- 2003: Commonwealth Women’s Chess Championship, Mumbai
- 2005: Asian Junior Girls Championship, Bikaner
- 2007: Member of Team India – 2nd Asian Indoor Games, Macau – Classical Chess Team
- 2007: Member of Team India – 2nd Asian Indoor Games, Macau – Blitz Chess Team
- 2008: Captain of Indian women’s team – Asian Women’s Chess Team Championship in Visakhapatnam – won silver medal
- 2008: Captain of Indian Women’s Team – Asian Women’s Chess Team Championship, Visakhapatnam – Individual Silver Medal topped the list
- 2009: Captain of Indian women’s team – Asian Women’s Chess Team Championship, Kolkata – won silver medal
- 2009: Captain of Indian Women’s Team – Asian Women’s Chess Team Championship, Kolkata – Individual Silver Medal
- 2011: Commonwealth Women’s Chess Championship in South Africa
- 2012: Member of Team India – World Women’s Chess Team Championship, Turkey – Individual Silver Medal in Second Game
- 2014: Member of Indian team – Iran team at Asian Women’s Chess Team Championship – won Standard silver medal
- 2014: Member of Indian team – Iran team at Asian Women’s Chess Team Championship – won silver medal in quick event
- 2015: Member of Team India – World Women’s Chess Team Championship, China – Individual Silver Medal in Second Game
- 2016: Member of Team India – Asian Women’s Chess Team Championship in UAE – Individual Silver Medal in Classical format
- 2019: FIDE Swiss Grand Championship
It has been an incredible few weeks competing in the FIDE Grand Swiss Championship. It ended up with 23 ratings and a $9k Best Female Award 🏆🥇. It feels good to be back in the top 10 in the world and I look forward to working harder and maintaining this status in the future😄 pic.twitter.com/EcUdAk9jmO
— Harika Dronavali (@HarikaDronavali) October 22, 2019
- 2021: FIDE Women’s World Team Championship in Spain
bronze
- 2002: World Youth Chess Championship U-12 Girls, Greece
- 2003: Member of Team India – Asian Women’s Chess Team Championship, Jodhpur – Team won Bronze Medal
- 2004: Asian U-18 Women’s Chess Championship, Iran
- 2007: 2nd Asian Indoor Games, Macau – Classical Chess Women’s Individual Competition
- 2009: The 3rd Asian Indoor Games, Vietnam – Women’s Individual Rapid Chess
- 2009: 3rd Asian Indoor Games, Vietnam – Member of the Blitz Chess Team
- 2009: 3rd Asian Indoor Games, Vietnam – Team Rapid Chess
- 2010: 16th Asian Games, Guangzhou, China – Women’s Individual Chess Category
- 2012: World Women’s Chess Championship, Khanty-Mansiysk
- 2015: FIDE Women’s Grand Prix, Sharjah
- 2015: World Women’s Chess Championship, Sochi
- 2015: Asian Women’s Rapid Chess Championship, UAE
- 2016: Member of Team India – Asian Women’s Chess Team Championship in UAE – Team won Bronze Medal in Quick Event
- 2017: Women’s World Chess Championship, Tehran, Iran
- 2019: One Belt and One Road Shaoxing International Women’s Open
The game started off slow, but happy to finish strong and take home a generous $15k prize and bronze medal at the strong Belt and Road Shaoxing International Women’s Open 🥉. pic.twitter.com/WI7Hpb44fw
— Harika Dronavali (@HarikaDronavali) July 18, 2019
- 2021: FIDE Online Chess Olympiad 2021
- 2022: 44th Chess Olympiad, Mahabalipuram, Chennai
Awards
- In 2007, she received the Arjuna Award from the Government of India.
- On April 3, 2017, she received the Women Achievement Award from the Telangana Sports Journalists Association.
Thanks to U Telangana Sports Journalists Association for the Women Achievement Award.Received from former National Badminton Champion Lakshmi Garu pic.twitter.com/jZZV8KeFoi
— Harika Dronavali (@HarikaDronavali) April 3, 2017
- In 2017, she received the Most Popular Athlete of the Year Award from Sakshi Media Group.
Thank you Sakshi Media Group @sakshinews Most Popular Sports Figure of the Year Award😊🙏 #beautiful #Homecoming pic.twitter.com/d71ix2tZXA
— Harika Dronavali (@HarikaDronavali) May 19, 2017
- She won the Times of India Chess Player of the Year Award (TOISA Annual Award) in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Thanks #TOISA and @IndiaTimesthe third one in a row😊🙏 pic.twitter.com/VzJvOYKkv4
— Harika Dronavali (@HarikaDronavali) February 27, 2018
- She was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India on March 28, 2019.
.@HarikaDronavaliwho has won everything there is to win in Indian chess, has applied # Padmasambhava In 2016, her application was rejected. She didn’t give up and won the award in 2019. The 28-year-old talked about her journey @sid_vishy https://t.co/dPfSO7hTKa pic.twitter.com/yVZLOcR2zt
— NewsNation (@NewsNationTV) March 28, 2019
- On March 9, 2021, she was awarded the FLO Influential Women Award (FIWA) by FICCI.
Thank you FICCI for awarding me the FIWA Award along with so many other great achievers 🙂 ♟🥳✨ pic.twitter.com/TGtmoWly9Y
— Harika Dronavali (@HarikaDronavali) March 9, 2021
Facts/Trivia
- She is sponsored by Indian Oil Corporation.
Indian Oil Corporation has been a huge support to me over the past few years and I am grateful for their contribution to my career 🙏🏻😊 @IndianOilcl pic.twitter.com/DcugYkhKmM
— Harika Dronavali (@HarikaDronavali) March 26, 2019
- She applied for the Padma Shri in 2016; however, her application was rejected. She won the title later in 2019.
- Her highest international ranking is 5th.
- Her chess idols are Vladimir Kramnik, Judit Polgar and Viswanathan Anand.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education