But as the dust settles from his “best World Cup performance so far,” the world No.35 is changing roles for his next assignment. At the third season of the Global Chess League (GCL), which takes place in Mumbai from December 14, India’s sixth Grandmaster will feature as a non-playing captain for Mumba Masters.
“As a player, you know what you would like to get (when you are preparing),” Harikrishna said to HT, about the changing roles. “But if you are preparing for another player, you need to understand what the other player would like to get. Not what is best, not what you feel is good for you. That’s the difference.”
This is not the first time he has had to change roles. Over the course of his career, Harikrishna has worked as a second – the trusted professional who helps a player prepare for a specific tournament or match.
In that role, he helped China’s Ju Wenjun win the Women’s World Chess Championship title in 2023, and the following year he helped Gukesh Dommaraju beat Ding Liren for the world title.
“Your choices are no longer that important. You have to put that aside,” Harikrishna said about being a second. “For me, I see that playing chess or being associated with chess is enjoyment or joy for me. That’s all that matters to me.”
Those roles were still just temporary, as he still remains a competitive player. And in his most recent event, Harikrishna quietly went about his business at the Chess World Cup in Goa, while his higher ranked and high-profile compatriots Gukesh and Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa lost in the early stages.
“I didn’t go with many expectations for the World Cup and I came to Goa just to play my chess,” he said. “Maybe that’s the way to go about it, just play freely without any kind of (thought like) ‘I need to reach that round’ or ‘I need to win against this person.’”
Harikrishna reaching the fifth round was a surprise. But It also should not have been one. After all, in this era of growing Indian prodigies, he once was one as well.
The man from Guntur was once the youngest Indian to become GM and only the second Indian man after Viswanathan Anand to win the Junior World Chess Championship in 2004.
He was once briefly the India No.1 (in live ratings) and was also a part of the Indian team that won gold at the Olympiad last year.
“Consistency is quite important in chess, but for me, that was not so good in the past,” said Harikrishna, who had reached as far as the world No.10 ranking in the standard format in 2016.
“I’m trying to improve on that and improve my rating and ranking. And the World Cup showed me how I can play chess. In a sense, it was a morale boost. It helped me understand myself.”
In Goa, Harikrishna played perhaps one of the most memorable matches in the entire competition. Using the white pieces on Day 2 of his second round tie against Russian GM Arseniy Nesterov, the Indian played a curious move – he sacrificed his queen (the most powerful piece on a chess board) as early as the eight move. It was a daring move he kept in mind for over nine years before finally bringing it to life.
“It’s the best game in my career,” he said, smiling as he recalled the match.
It was an inspired move that set him on the path to an unprecedented run at the tournament – the furthest he’s ever reached at a World Cup. But now his attention turns towards mentoring at the GCL.
That’s a role he has had success in, even before he helped Ju and Gukesh become world champions.
In an interview published in Chessbase India, International master Sagar Shah revealed that Gukesh’s father Rajnikanth claimed that Harikrishna had been the one to first spot Gukesh’s talent.
“The first time I did some work with Gukesh was in 2021 in Dubai,” Harikrishna recalled. “It wasn’t anything major. Then, a year later he came to my home in Prague and we worked together. I’m happy it worked nicely for him, but he was already very strong.
“Probably my contribution, small or big, whatever it is, I’m just happy that it helped him to improve his chess.”
A player who has donned many hats in his chess career – prodigy, GM, mentor, and now captain – he has started to step out of the shadows of his younger compatriots. But ever so often, he’s still happy to lend a helping hand.
Being involved in chess, as he said, is where his happiness lies.
