The Making of India’s 97th Chess Grandmaster Harshavardhan GB: A ‘Legend’ Among Friends, Now the Pride of His Parents

Grandmaster Harshavardhan GB with his parents (Designed by TimesofIndia.com) NEW DELHI: As India moves a step closer to the milestone of producing 100 grandmasters, Chennai, long hailed as the ‘Mecca of Indian Chess’, has once again found itself as the protagonist.On Sunday, Harshavardhan GB became India’s 97th Grand Master (GM) from the country itself. He had three wins and one draw in his last four games and finished second with 6.5/9 points in the 2nd Chola Chess GM Norm Round Robin Tournament to secure his third and final GM Norm.The moment the draw was confirmed in his final round match against veteran Mihail Nikitenko, Harshavardhan was showered with congratulations from his peers and tournament organizers. But after a few handshakes, the 22-year-old ran out into the waiting room where he met an elated mother fighting back tears as she congratulated her son and received congratulations from other parents waiting in the hall. It was a rewarding moment for the family, but above all it was a moment of immense relief for Harshavardhan. Why? Because the wait was long. Harshavardhan earned his International Master (IM) title back in 2020 and spent the next six years chasing the coveted title of GM.“I feel relieved, above all, to have finally completed it,” Harshavardhan told TimesofIndia.com during an exclusive interview. “And one more good thing for me is that I got my IM title in Chennai, the last norm. Now doing my GM title here is also special.”

Now a Grandmaster, the pride of his parents

The emotional scenes outside the playing hall were mirrored home by Harshavardhan’s father, Gopalakrishnan K, a recognized FIDE Trainer (FT) and former highly ranked competitive player who once headed the Indian Bank chess team.For a father who has coached other elite players for years, seeing his own son cross the highest threshold was an indescribable milestone.“No words can explain his happiness. He is extremely happy,” said Harshavardhan. “He wanted to come (to the venue) immediately after (the GM standard was secured). He was very excited to be there.”The win was also a tribute to his mother, who served as his regular traveling companion for most of his career.“She accompanied me to every tournament till the last three years,” Harshavardhan recalled.

Harshavardhan GB with his mother (Photo by @CholaChess on X)

Although logistics and health considerations have meant that he has transitioned to traveling alone in the last two to three years, her maternal watch has never wavered.“Even when I’m traveling alone, she makes sure she takes care of everything,” he added with a smile.

Origin of the Grandmaster

Harshavardhan’s presentation of the chess board took place entirely in the cozy surroundings of his family home.When he was about three or four years old, his father regularly held training sessions for visiting international masters and grandmasters.“They used to take classes at my house. At that age, I just watched them,” said Harshavardhan. “Then sometime, maybe around four, I got interested and started playing.”

GB’s Harshavardhan secures final GM standard (Photo by @CholaChess on X)

Recognizing the boy’s quick affinity for the game, his father approached his close friend and Indian Bank FM teammate Hariharan Venkatachalam to handle the basic stages of coaching in Anna Nagar, Chennai.Hariharan was immediately struck by the left-handed boy’s raw potential.“He was a very bright student, very quick and calculating,” Hariharan told this website. “He showed his interest in the early years. He was very good at tactics at first. He was left-handed, so I thought he would be very good at something special.”

“Legend” among friends

As Harshavardhan rose through the ranks, his keen tactical eye and unorthodox analytical ideas earned him an affectionate nickname among his training peers.“At that time we used to play practice games while attending classes,” explained Harshavardhan with a smile. “I don’t remember if I did much better there or if I came up with some very creative ideas doing those analyses. That’s how the name stuck and then it started.”His friends simply called him “the legend”.That reputation was backed up by an incredibly consistent junior career. He won a bronze medal at the 2012 Asian Schools, a bronze at the 2015 Asian Youth and a silver for problem solving at the 2016 Asian Championships.He dominated the circuit at home, winning state championships in almost every age group from 9 to 19. He later added FIDE World Youth Online Under-18 gold in 2021, Asian Juniors gold in 2022 and even qualified for the FIDE World Cup.After his initial years with Hariharan, Harshavardhan worked closely with veteran coach Visweswaran Kameswaran until 2022 before switching to Grandmaster Deepan Chakkravarthy in 2024.“My coaches really supported me,” he emphasized.

When talent alone wasn’t enough

Despite coming from a chess-oriented household, Harshavardhan’s path to becoming a grandmaster exposed him to serious professional obstacles. Having a FIDE coach for a father provided a clear blueprint, but it couldn’t protect him from the psychological toll of the sport.“You may know what’s coming, but you can’t stop what’s coming,” Harshavardhan mused. “You can say you know you might have to face it, but you can’t avoid the challenges.The most testing phase came during its excruciatingly long push to reach GM’s final post-2020 standard. It suffered a heartbreaking series of near misses around the world.“In 10 to 15 tournaments, I missed the GM standard very easily. It’s either the technical part or I’m missing half a point,” he added.

Harshavardhan GB (Photo: ChessBase India)

The practical difficulties of international travel also took their toll. During the event in Kazakhstan, he was completely imprisoned for two days due to a large flight delay.Additionally, maintaining a strict vegetarian diet in foreign countries became a constant logistical struggle.The absolute lack of financial background added to these challenges. Harshavardhan navigated the expensive international circuit without a primary corporate sponsor.“I’ve never been on a scholarship, I’ve never been on a sponsorship. I had a scholarship from the Airports Authority for a while, but I’m not on anything at the moment,” he revealed.The financial burden fell entirely on his small nuclear family. “Every time you travel, you spend a lot. Not for something you don’t need, but just for tournaments and accommodation, the prices are high.”

A look into the future

After completing his Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com) in 2024, Harshavardhan made a conscious decision to pursue chess as a full-time career.Now that the burden of the Grandmaster title has been lifted, he will set his sights on the highest level of global chess.“My only hope is to get to 2600, 2700. Maybe become a super GM,” Harshavardhan concluded.