DRONAVALLI Harika

Date of Birth: 12 Jan 1991

Age: 32

Gender: Female

Height (m/ft): 1.72/5'8''

Events and Medals
Records
Schedule
Bio
Additional Information
Milestones

Events and Medals

Discipline	Event	Rank	Medal
Chess	Women's Individual	4
	Women's Team IND India	2

Schedule

Start Time	Location	Event	Status
	Hangzhou Qi-Yuan (Zhili) Chess Hall	Women's Individual Round 1	Finished
	Hangzhou Qi-Yuan (Zhili) Chess Hall	Women's Individual Round 2	Finished
	Hangzhou Qi-Yuan (Zhili) Chess Hall	Women's Individual Round 3	Finished
	Hangzhou Qi-Yuan (Zhili) Chess Hall	Women's Individual Round 4	Finished
	Hangzhou Qi-Yuan (Zhili) Chess Hall	Women's Individual Round 5	Finished
	Hangzhou Qi-Yuan (Zhili) Chess Hall	Women's Individual Round 6	Finished
	Hangzhou Qi-Yuan (Zhili) Chess Hall	Women's Individual Round 7	Finished
	Hangzhou Qi-Yuan (Zhili) Chess Hall	Women's Individual Round 8	Finished
	Hangzhou Qi-Yuan (Zhili) Chess Hall	Women's Individual Round 9	Finished
	Hangzhou Qi-Yuan (Zhili) Chess Hall	Women's Team Round 1	Finished
	Hangzhou Qi-Yuan (Zhili) Chess Hall	Women's Team Round 2	Finished
	Hangzhou Qi-Yuan (Zhili) Chess Hall	Women's Team Round 3	Finished
	Hangzhou Qi-Yuan (Zhili) Chess Hall	Women's Team Round 4	Finished
	Hangzhou Qi-Yuan (Zhili) Chess Hall	Women's Team Round 5	Finished
	Hangzhou Qi-Yuan (Zhili) Chess Hall	Women's Team Round 6	Finished
	Hangzhou Qi-Yuan (Zhili) Chess Hall	Women's Team Round 7	Finished
	Hangzhou Qi-Yuan (Zhili) Chess Hall	Women's Team Round 8	Finished
	Hangzhou Qi-Yuan (Zhili) Chess Hall	Women's Team Round 9	Finished

Biographical Information

Highlights

Rank	Event	Year	Location
Asian Games
3	Women's Individual	2010	Guangzhou, CHN
4	Women's Team	2010	Guangzhou, CHN
World Championship
3	Women's Individual	2017	Tehran, IRI
3	Women's Individual	2015	Sochi, RUS
3	Women's Individual	2012	Khanty-Mansiysk, RUS
9	Women's Individual	2018	Khanty-Mansiysk, RUS
Asian Championships
1	Women's Individual	2011	Mashhad, IRI

Travelling. (Instagram profile, 10 Oct 2022)

Occupation:

Husband Karteek, daughter Hanvika [2022]

Languages spoken:

Abhijit Kunte [national], IND

She began playing chess at age eight at home with her father. (chessbase, 03 Feb 2005)

"My father is interested in sports and we used to play a lot of indoor games as children. Actually, my parents introduced my sister to chess, but it was I who got interested and hooked on to it. When I played my first national championship, I was placed 15th. However, the grandness of the prize-distribution ceremony and the attention showered on the winner impressed me and I made a decision that I should win the title next year. I did win the next year and that's how my chess journey started." (Sify sports, 26 Aug 2008)

To become world champion and to be ranked number one in the world. (sportstar, 21 Jul 2022)

Winning bronze with the Indian women's team at the 2022 Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India. (sportstar, 25 Aug 2022)

Hungarian chess player Judit Polgar. (chessbase, 03 Feb 2005)

In 2019 she was presented with the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour. (aicf, 2019; mha, 25 Jan 2019)

She received the Arjuna Award for Outstanding Performance in Sports and Games in India in 2008. (indiatimes, 17 Jul 2009)

She attained the titles of Woman Grandmaster in 2004, International Master in 2007, and Grandmaster in 2011 from the International Chess Federation [FIDE]. (FIDE, 22 Oct 2011)

Additional Information

General
COMPETING NINE MONTHS PREGNANT
She gave birth to her daughter Hanvika in August 2022, just weeks after helping India win their first medal in the women's event at the Chess Olympiad. "One of the stories which have inspired me a lot was when [US tennis player] Serena Williams won the Australian Open while being eight weeks pregnant [in 2017]. It's been 18 years since my debut in the Indian women's chess team at the age of 13, and having played nine Olympiads so far, I always dreamt about being on the podium for Indian women's team and finally made it this time. It's more emotional because I made it at nine months of pregnancy. When I heard about Olympiad being held in India and when my doctor said that it's possible to play if I stay healthy without any complications. Since then my life revolved around making it to Olympiad and winning the medal. My every single step has been dedicated to make it possible. No baby showers, no parties, no celebrations, I decided everything will be only after winning the medal." (sportstar, 25 Aug 2022; chessbase, 24 Jun 2022; Instagram profile, 10 Aug 2022)

Milestones

She was a member of the team that won India's first medal in the women's event at the Chess Olympiad, claiming bronze at the 2022 edition in Chennai, India. (olympics, 10 Aug 2022)

Legend

:: Silver Medal
:: Gold Medal Event
:: Silver Medal Event
:: Bronze Medal Event