Champ Dronavalli Harika hopes for chess to feature at Olympic Games soon

New Delhi: The year has been a memorable one for Grandmaster Harika Dronavalli so far. After winning two back-to-back awards for being the best woman player in Hungary and Kazakhstan, her maiden win at the recent Fide women’s Grand Prix Series event in Chengdu, China, was the icing on the cake for the 25-year-old.

“I didn’t have any special strategy going into the tournament but I wanted to win the title. I tried and played my best every day,” Harika told this newspaper on Tuesday.

Harika pipped the country’s top player Koneru Humpy in tie-break to clinch her maiden Grand Prix title. The India No.2 was happy that she edged past her “toughest opponent” in Humpy but “not satisfied with the growth of women’s chess in India”.

“There are a few talented player in the country. I would say Humpy is the best and the toughest opponent for me but I would love to see more players coming up and taking up chess as sport. I am not happy with the growth of women’s chess in the country,” she said.

Harika, the only unbeaten player at Chengdu, aims to win another GP title along with world rapid and blitz titles this year. “Extremely happy for my feat. These kind of titles give you an additional boost to work even harder. I am working constantly with different trainers. I am happy to get guidance from them. N.V.S. Rama Raju was my first trainer. I always contact him before any important tournament and he gives me tips,” said Harika, who became the second Indian woman (after Humpy) to achieve the title of Grandmaster at the men’s level.

Asked who she would like to give credit for her success, the world chess championship bronze medallist said, “My family, best friends, trainers and all my close ones. It may look like I won the title but all these people in my life are the reason who support me and help me in different ways.”

Golf has become the newest sport to be added to the Olympic programme and will feature for the first time at the Rio Games after 112 years. Like golfers, Harika also nurtures a desire to feature in the sporting extravaganza and is rooting for chess to become a Olympic sport.

“As a sports person it is really exciting to see top athletes in action at one event and I wish to see chess featre in the Olympics one day,” the Guntur lass said.