Home chevron_right Chess Player chevron_right Harika Dronavalli

Harika Dronavalli

movie Chess Player cake 12 January 1991 (Saturday) (Guntur, Andhra Pradesh)
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Height

5' 7" (170 cm)

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Age

33

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Nation

Indian

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Basic Information

Date of Birth: 12 January 1991 (Saturday)
Birthplace: Guntur, Andhra Pradesh
Zodiac Sign: Capricorn
Nationality: Indian
Hometown: Hyderabad

Family & Relationships

Marital Status: Married
Spouse: Karteek Chandra
Children: Daughter- Hanvika

Education

Schools: Sri Venkateswara Bala Kuteer, GUntur, Andhra Pradesh

Lifestyle

Religion: Hinduism
Food Habit: Non-vegetarian

person_book Biography

Some Lesser Known Facts About Harika Dronavalli

  • Harika Dronavalli started playing chess at age five with her sister under her father’s guidance.
  • She used to play friendly matches with one of her family friends and professional chess player Rohit Gogineni, whose father urged her to enter competitions.
  • At her first national championship tournament as a seven-year-old, she was inspired by the winner Mary Ann Gomes holding the rolling trophy. She won a medal in her next national championship in the under-9 category.
  • She has been active in professional chess since 1999.

    A young Harika Dronavalli holding a trophy
    A young Harika Dronavalli holding a trophy
  • She left formal education to pursue her interest in the sport and according to her, extensive travelling and varied life experiences are good educators.
  • She carries an electric pressure cooker and homemade masalas and likes to cook meals when she travels.
  • She has the habit of journaling to set goals or manage her expenses.
  • She follows a daily exercise routine to stay refreshed and focused.
  • In 2016, she reached her career-best (up until the present) world ranking of 5.
  • In 2019, she gave a speech about life lessons in her professional chess career at the TEDx event conducted at BITS Pilani.

    Harika Dronavalli at TEDx BITS Pilani
    Harika Dronavalli at TEDx BITS Pilani
  • In 2022, she competed in the 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Chennai during her ninth month of pregnancy in which the Indian team secured a bronze medal.

    Harika Dronavalli at the Chess Olympiad 2022 in Chennai
    Harika Dronavalli at the Chess Olympiad 2022 in Chennai
  • As of September 2024, she is at 608 ranking internationally and 43 in the national ranking.

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