India has all probability of producing youngest GM: Harika

Indian-American Abhimanyu Mishra may have become the youngest Grandmaster at the age of 12 back in June 2021 but leading chess player D Harika feels the way the age barrier is being shattered in the sport, it’s a matter of time the bar will be reset and probably by an Indian.

Harika, one of only three Indian women players to become a Grandmaster, is currently playing in the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League (GCL) here and said that the momentum created by the Indian men’s team in the Chess Olympiad in Budapest recently, helped the women too aim for the gold during the historic campaign.

India made history by winning their first-ever gold medals in the Olympiad with both the men’s and women’s teams taking the top podium finishes.

“The generation in general is getting smarter. My daughter is just two years old and she can already identify the chess pieces,” said Harika, the two-time Asian Games medallist and a member of the gold-winning Indian women’s team in the Olympiad.

“We have all the probability to do that (India producing the youngest GM). I mean, it’s difficult to say when it’ll happen, but definitely, we will have younger Grandmasters,” said the 33-year-old, who is representing Upgrad Mumba Masters in the GCL.

Harika feels the success of the Indian teams at the Olympiad didn’t happen overnight but it was the result of several years of hard work at the grassroots level.

“It's (success) not like overnight or suddenly. We were always there somewhere among the top. They just worked hard over the years and that's what is showing the results now. They have been competing in big events where the level of competitions is of the highest standard.

"So, it’s just the momentum gathered over the years that brought them success at the Olympiad,” she said.

The Hangzou Asian Games silver medallist in the women’s team event said that the men certainly deserved the gold more than the women and that she had absolutely no problem with the spotlight being on the likes of D Gukesh, Vidit Gujrathi, Arjun Erigaisi and R Praggnanandhaa.

“No, not at all. I am happy with the way it happened and they deserve it, definitely they deserve (it) more. They showed such class which in all these years, none of the teams could show. They won with almost one round to spare and they won with, you know, they just crushed the opposition.” The Indian men’s team won 27 of its 44 games, losing just once and drawing six, with Gukesh delivering an unbeaten run throughout the Olympiad, securing nine wins and a draw from his 10 matches.

“We (women’s team) had some setbacks, we came back in the end. It’s also dramatic and nice. But I would say their (men’s team) win was much more convincing. So, there is nothing wrong about it (spotlight being on the men’s team),” said Harika, who at one time was ranked world No. 5 in the world rankings.

Harika is not overly concerned about the kind of response chess players get in India compared to Olympic-discipline athletes, saying she has seen times when people were not bothered about their achievements at all “If you see the larger picture compared to other sports, maybe it will look like that. But for me, I have seen different generations, I have played chess for the country when no one even bothered to see what we are doing. So, from there if I see now, it's developed a lot.

“I am content with whatever happened (the reception accorded to the Indian team on arrival from Budapest). It's a massive success and I hope we inspire many more players to come to chess and do well."