Pentala Harikrishna- India's Youngest Grandmaster

Pentala Harikrishna (born 10 May 1986) is an Indian chess player. He became the youngest grandmaster from India on 11 September 2001, a record now held by Gukesh D. He was Commonwealth Champion in 2001, World Junior Champion in 2004, and Asian Individual Champion in 2011. He is currently the third highest-rated player in India. Harikrishna won the Tata Steel Group B in 2012 and the Biel MTO Masters Tournament Open event in 2013. He represented India at seven Chess Olympiads from 2000 to 2012 and won team Bronze at the World Team Chess Championships in 2010. At the Asian Team Championships, Pentala won team gold once, team silver twice and individual bronze once.

In February 2013, Harikrishna's FIDE rating passed 2700 for the first time. He broke into the top ten players in the world in November 2016 with a FIDE rating of 2768.

Chess Career

Pentala was a highly successful junior player winning the Indian Under-08 (1993), Under-10 (1995), Under-14 (1999), Under-15 (1998), and Under-18 (1998) titles. He won the Under 18 prize at the Commonwealth Chess Championship in 1999.[4] He won the World Under-10 Championship in 1996.

His progress was such that, at the age of 14 years and 5 months, he joined the Indian team for the 2000 Chess Olympiad, scoring 6.5 out of 11 rounds and earning his first Grandmaster norm. The second and third norms came soon after with a solid 6.5/13 result placing fifth in Corus Group B and sharing a seventh place at the Asian Individual Championship with 7/11.[5][6] This last norm both qualified him for the FIDE World Chess Championship 2002 (knocked in the first round to Alexander Beliavsky) and secured his Grandmaster title, having reached the required FIDE rating of 2500 in July 2000.

Pentala was a largely successful inferior player winning the Indian Under- 08( 1993), Under- 10( 1995), Under- 14( 1999), Under- 15( 1998), and Under- 18( 1998) titles. He won the Under 18 prize at the Commonwealth Chess Championship in 1999. He won the World Under- 10 Championship in 1996.
His progress was similar in that, at the age of 14 times 5 months, he joined the Indian platoon for the 2000 Chess Olympiad, scoring6.5 out of 11 rounds and earning his first Grandmaster norm. The alternate and third morals came soon after with a solid6.5/ 13 effect placing fifth in Corus Group B and participating in seventh place at the Asian Individual Championship with7/11. This last norm both qualified him for the FIDE World Chess Championship 2002( knocked in the first round to Alexander Beliavsky) and secured his Grandmaster title, having reached the needed FIDE standing of 2500 in the July 2000 standing list.

Personal Life

He married Serbian Nadezda Stojanovic in 2018. Since early 2021 they are parents to their daughter Maya. Since 2018, he has lived in Prague. He plays for the chess club Nový Bor.