Latest news with #HarikrishnanARa
India.com
13-07-2025
- Sport
- India.com
Meet Harikrishnan A Ra, Who Became India's 87th Grandmaster After Seven Years Of Grit
photoDetails english 2931130 Updated:Jul 13, 2025, 02:00 PM IST Meet India's 87th Grandmaster 1 / 10 Harikrishnan A Ra, a 23-year-old from Chennai, has officially become India's 87th Grandmaster. He earned the prestigious title after securing his final GM norm at the La Plagne International Chess Festival in France on July 11, 2025. A Seven-Year Journey of Grit 2 / 10 Harikrishnan became an International Master (IM) in 2018, but his road to Grandmaster status was long and challenging. It took seven years of consistent performance, travel, and endurance to achieve this lifelong goal. The Three Crucial Norms 3 / 10 He earned his GM norms at: Biel Chess Festival, Switzerland (2023) Lince Andújar Open, Spain (June 2025) La Plagne, France (July 2025), drawing against Pranesh Iniyan in the final round. The Marathon Man of Chess 4 / 10 In his final push toward the GM title, Harikrishnan played 10 consecutive tournaments abroad, including events in Dubai, Croatia, Russia, Spain, and France. He believes his peak performance comes after 3-4 events in a row. Mentored by Excellence 5 / 10 Harikrishnan trains under Grandmaster Shyamsundar Mohanraj, who also coached India's 86th GM, Srihari LR. His guidance helped sharpen Harikrishnan's strategy and resilience on the board. No Time for Celebration 6 / 10 Even after achieving his GM title, Harikrishnan remains grounded. Instead of celebrating, he is focused on upcoming tournaments, proving his dedication and hunger for growth in the chess world. Next Goals: 2600 Elo and MBA 7 / 10 While he's chasing a 2600+ Elo rating, Harikrishnan also plans to pursue an MBA in the United States. He holds a Master's in Commerce ( from SRM University, showing his balance between academics and sport. Career Highlights 8 / 10 Notable performances: 2nd place at Ljubljana Festival 2024 (7.5/9) Champion at Chania Chess Open 2024 Dominant wins in multiple rapid and blitz events across 2023. India's Chess Boom Continues 9 / 10 Harikrishnan's rise adds to India's growing chess dominance. With Chennai as a chess hub and a strong mentor ecosystem, the country is now producing top-tier GMs faster than ever. 'A Struggle, But Worth It' 10 / 10 Reflecting on his achievement, Harikrishnan said: 'It's been seven years... a struggle. I feel very happy.' His journey reflects persistence, discipline, and the mindset of a champion. All Images:- X, Chessbase India
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First Post
12-07-2025
- Sport
- First Post
Who is Harikrishnan A Ra? India's 87th chess Grandmaster
Harikrishnan A Ra has become India's 87th Grandmaster. The 23-year-old secured his final GM norm at the LA Plagne International Chess Festival in France on July 11. read more The craze of Chess in India once again makes global headlines as the country gets its fresh Grandmaster, 87th to be precise, in the form of Harikrishnan A Ra. The 23-year-old secured his final Grandmaster norm at the LA Plagne International Chess Festival in France on July 11, 2025. Hailing from Chennai, Harikrishnan became an International Master seven years ago but faced a long struggle to attain the Grandmaster title. Speaking from La Plagne (France), Harikrishnan expressed a sigh of relief. 'Feel very happy. It's been seven years. I agree there was a huge delay to become a GM. From 2022, I have been competing regularly in tournaments, but couldn't get the GM norms. It was really a struggle,' Harikrishnan told The Hindu on Saturday. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Also Read | 'Just relaxed': Vantika Agrawal scripts stunning win over former world champion to reach Chess World Cup Round 3 Reaped success after a long wait Harikrishnan reaped success after long perseverance. As an International Master, he competed in many tournaments but the GM tag eluded him despite coming agonisingly close at times. But the day Harikrishna was waiting for finally arrived when he drew with his countrymate P. Iniyan in the final round of LA Plagne International Chess Festival to finish fourth and become India's 87th GM. According to Harikrishnan, he knew that he needed 1.5 points in the last two rounds to become a GM. 'There was pressure and I am glad I did it,' he said. He defeated Jules Moussard of France in the eighth round and drew with Iniyan in the ninth and last round to complete his third GM norm. Notably, Harikrishnan got his first GM-norm in the Biel International Chess Festival in 2023 in Switzerland and his second norm in the Lince Andujar Chess Open in June this year in Spain. Also Read | Magnus Carlsen has a message for Ronaldo ahead of Esports World Cup: 'Don't know what Ronaldo has done on chessboard' Future Plans Having attained the highest tag in the sport of Chess, Harikrishnan aims to continue playing the sport. He aims to reach an Elo rating of 2600 and plans for higher studies as well. Harikrishnan desires to pursue an MBA in the USA and holds an (Master of Commerce) degree from SRM University.
The Hindu
12-07-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Harikrishnan A Ra becomes India's 87th Grandmaster
For seven years, Harikrishnan A Ra remained an International Master. In the meantime, he competed in many tournaments in his quest to become a Grandmaster but fell short after coming agonisingly close to becoming one. The 23-year-old finally earned his third and final GM-norm in the La Plagne International Chess Festival in France on Friday (July 11, 2025). Harikrishnan drew with his countrymate P. Iniyan in the final round to finish fourth and become India's 87th GM. Speaking from La Plagne (France), Harikrishnan expressed a sigh of relief. 'Feel very happy. It's been seven years. I agree there was a huge delay to become a GM. From 2022, I have been competing regularly in tournaments, but couldn't get the GM norms. It was really a struggle,' Harikrishnan told The Hindu on Saturday (July 12, 2025). He got his first GM-norm in the Biel International Chess Festival in 2023 in Switzerland and his second norm in the Lince Andujar Chess Open in June this year in Spain. According to Harikrishnan, he knew that he needed 1.5 points in the last two rounds to become a GM. 'There was pressure and I am glad I did it,' he said. He defeated Jules Moussard of France in the eighth round and drew with Iniyan in the ninth and last round to complete his third GM-norm. Harikrishnan, who just completed his M. Com from SRM, is contemplating playing in quite a few tournaments in Spain and Portugal before returning to his hometown Chennai. 'I want to continue playing till I get the Elo rating of 2600. I also plan to do my Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in USA,' he said.
