"Even if you start at age 9, 10 or 11 , you can make it" - Harika Dronavalli shares her chess journey and why GMs need coaches too [Exclusive]
In July 2011, 20-year-old Harika Dronavalli attained the highest title a chess player can — that of a grandmaster. She was only the second Indian woman to have achieved it, after Koneru Humpy. Yet, she returned to India to a fairly lukewarm reception. At the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, barring former player Lanka Ravi who had brought a bouquet for her, only a couple of journalists and Harika's family were there to receive her.
Perhaps, it is because of days like those that Harika knows the value of the limelight she has been getting since the women's team's historic triumph at the 45th Chess Olympiad this year. At the felicitation program organized by the All India Chess Federation in New Delhi last month, the gold medallists were swarmed by journalists and fans alike, as soon as they arrived in the hotel lobby for media interactions. Each one of them gave a few interviews before heading towards the dinner hall.
Harika Dronavalli stood in the lobby for well over an hour even after all her teammates had left. She signed every poster, chessboard, and slambook that fans had brought. She ensured that none of the media persons, who had asked her for an interview, returned empty-handed. As she stood in front of the camera for one last videographed interaction, one could see her shuffling on her feet, her legs tired from standing. She probably breathed a sigh of relief once that interview was over.
However, Harika was not done, yet. "All yours now," she said, looking at yours truly, who was standing in the corner and observing her all this while. I had requested her for an interview about half an hour ago.
"Only if you're not tired," I replied. Since ours was not supposed to be a video interaction, she asked if we could sit somewhere. I was not only happy to oblige but also a little awestruck by her graciousness.
Here is the exclusive conversation with Harika Dronavalli:
Q: You have been very empathetic to every media person. You have not refused anyone for an interview. That tells me that you really cherish this, don’t you?
GM Harika Dronavalli: I think more than cherishing it, I know the value of it. I started in an era where the recognition was so much less. Even when I won the Arjuna Award at 17, not many people knew. It’s like the achievements were big but the recognition was less. Of course, I think every sport will get its due (one) day. We should never be disappointed. When I think like that, I say to myself what soldiers are doing is much bigger and they get even less recognition, so you can’t crib about it. So when I have seen that era, I now know to value it. You should be thankful from where you reached where. Also, as a person, I don’t like to hurt people - if someone is making an effort to come and speak with you. I mean, I can always go back and rest.
Q: You told me that chess has changed a lot, there is a lot more recognition now. How much of that is due to the internet? By the internet I mean, there is a community of chess streamers, there are websites like chess.com, lichess.com. Do you think they have played a role in popularising chess?
GM Harika Dronavalli: Definitely. But I would like to say... I would start from the time I was dreaming about (it). Even when there was no recognition, I felt so strongly that someday it would change. I kept playing and playing, achieving and achieving. Even if there was no recognition, I was happy to do (it) again and again all over. So, I am sure every player’s journey would (have been) similar back then. Somewhere I had this belief that it will change. I didn’t know how and when. Maybe this, I didn’t even expect. But at least I believed that my sport will get its due.
Secondly, of course, people got more connected during covid times. Be it online chess, be it the streamers and all the hard work they put in, the success of the players. Everything contributed. You know it’s like teamwork. Everyone is doing their bits and parts. I think it is a beautiful thing that it (chess) got its recognition finally. Be it through internet, be it because of covid times, be it through the streamers who have put all the hard work in. But the end product is that chess is getting more popular.
Q: Can you take us back to what sparked your interest in chess in the very initial years?
GM Harika Dronavalli: To be honest, when we were young, we weren’t as smart as this generation’s kids. (laughs) I don’t even remember what I did until 9-10.
So it was very random. My parents felt that my sister needed chess to learn patience. Then, I started picking it up. When I picked it up, I naturally did extremely well. That success attracted me. I didn’t know if it was passion for the game or not, but what I liked was the “winning things” - winning, people recognizing, playing for the country, winning medals. So I don’t know if it was chess or those moments which attracted me as a young child. But as the journey goes on, you get more addicted to it — that this has been my life. I only know how to play chess and to work for it. So my love for chess started increasing.
It increased even more when I had my daughter. I realized that there are more stressful things in life and chess is the least one I think about. Because as a toddler mom, I don’t know when she will fall down, when she will give me heartbreak. Every time I get emotional seeing her getting hurt. Then I feel, oh my god chess is so much easier in life.
Q: These days the conversation is that if you want to make it big in chess, you have to start young. Do you concur with it? Or do you think someone starting at 9,10 or 11 can also make it big?
GM Harika Dronavalli: Definitely. Even if you start at 9, 10, 11 and you’re determined, you can make it. I think why young becomes important — it is not to do with age or anything — when you’re a kid, you have more chances to try different things. So, once you get to (age) 15 or thereabouts when you have to make a choice, then you want to be (choosing something) safe, like education. You can’t keep on doing other things and not concentrate on education when you’re not sure about other professions.
So, when you’re starting younger, you would have already experimented with many things and you would already have an idea about what you’re best at and what you have to do. Then, it is easier for you to take decision. When you’re starting old, there is always this constant pressure. In case if I don’t achieve, what next? What’s the future? With my experience, I feel this is one of the reasons that makes it difficult when you start late.
Q: These days there is so much conversation about computer algorithms and learning patterns. There was an era 20-30 years back where there weren’t so many softwares to help you learn different kind of moves and end game patterns. It was more about what you do on the board. Do you think chess has become more robotic?
GM Harika Dronavalli: I think it has become a lot more difficult. Everyone has access to a lot of strong openings, online websites, support systems, a lot of coaches. So, the players started becoming stronger, the competition started becoming tougher. So definitely, it keeps getting tougher and tougher.
Q: I am very curious about what the role of a chess coach is at your level. You being a grandmaster have played so many different positions, you know your moves and obviously during a game you’re not allowed to talk to your coach. So what is the role that a coach plays? If you can break it down in very simple terms.
GM Harika Dronavalli: It is the guidance. Like you have teachers in schools. You can’t just go and study on your own. Maybe you would be able to but you won’t be able to be at your best. So, you have to learn from someone who is very good at it — the guru. Without guidance, you can’t go around.
Q: I ask this because during her speech (earlier at the event), Tania (Sachdev) pointed out that, "At night, the assistant coaches used to stay up working when we used to ask them about particular lines." So, what exactly is that?
GM Harika Dronavalli: Let’s say what Tania spoke about is openings. As you said, the use of computers has increased. The openings keep on changing. There would be novelties every time. You also have access to a lot of your opponent's games. So you have to study your opponent, see what is the best to do against (a particular) opponent. And then, you see that they go to a certain line, maybe you have to analyze it. That is where the coach comes into the picture. Maybe at night because the pairing comes at night. By morning you have to start preparing. So they would be sitting up all night preparing (the analysis of possible moves to counter it) and sending you in the morning, so you can check and go to the game.
The tough part is that even after all this there is a possibility that (that certain position/line) won’t even come on the board. So that is where the coach’s hard work is. Sometimes it can be even thankless but you’ve to keep working hard.
Harika was eight months pregnant when she and her team suffered the heartbreak of slipping from the apex position to a bronze medal in the last round of the Chess Olympiad in Chennai in 2022. Now, with her toddler in her arms, she proudly wears the gold medal around her neck. She is currently in action at the Global Chess League in London.