In 2002, Viswanathan Anand won his second Chess World Cup title in Hyderabad. The tournament was equally significant for another Indian, Pentala Harikrishna, who at the age of 16, had already become a Grandmaster and was making his World Cup debut on home turf.
It has been 23 years since, but Harikrishna is still going strong and remains one of the two Indians – the other being Arjun Erigaisi – to remain in contention in the 2025 edition after defeating Sweden’s Nils Grandelius in the fourth round.
He may not be at the peak of his powers but is still a threat. Harikrishna is one of only three players, alongside legendary Ukrainian Vassily Ivanchuk and India’s Surya Shekhar Ganguly, to have competed in both the 2002 World Cup and the current edition in Goa. The former India No.1, who is still striving for his maiden Candidates Tournament spot, asserts that he now plays purely for the love of the sport.
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“Until a few years ago, the goal was to reach the very top. Now, I’m also in the team with guys like (D) Gukesh, but the one thing that hasn’t changed is that I enjoy the game as much now as I did back then,” Harikrishna told The Indian Express.
“It’s why I started playing the sport, and I still feel the same. That’s one of the main driving forces for why I play chess. The moment I don’t really enjoy it, I am not going to push for it.”
The Grandmaster from Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, has a unique distinction of being the Second of both men’s and women’s reigning World Champions. He has helped both Gukesh and China’s Ju Wenjun conquer the chess world.
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Once India’s highest-ranked chess player, Harikrishna was part of Ju’s team during the 2023 Women’s World Championship against Lei Tingjie, while he worked with Gukesh in his contest against China’s Ding Liren.
Harikrishna’s game had seen a jaw-dropping ploy from the Indian to let his queen, the most powerful piece on the board, be captured on the 8th move without immediate compensation. (Picture Credit: Eteri Kublashvili/FIDE)
Still going strong
Harikrishna is widely regarded as a master of the endgame. His technical prowess in this phase of the game, whether to finish a match or just to force a draw from an objectively worse position, has repeatedly showcased his deep understanding of the game.
He finds the knockout format of the World Cup particularly exciting, especially compared to the round-robin system in events like the Grand Prix or Grand Swiss.
“I don’t know if this is my 10th or 11th World Cup, actually. I am just pleased to be playing here,” he says. “I’m not really looking for anything special. I need to stay solid and play without risk. In general, I like to have a long run in these events, but it’s knockouts, and you can’t really plan long-term,” Harikrishna says.
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The 39-year-old, however, feels that the double-round knockout format offers a chance for redemption after a loss.
The prospect of a quick elimination after a bad game also means an escape from prolonged disappointment.
“Even if you lose one game, you have a chance for a comeback. That’s why you have to put a lot of focus into every single game. The good thing is, if you play badly, you are gone instantly, and you do not suffer for 10 days like in the Grand Prix,” Harikrishna points out.
Ups and downs in his career have taught him to stay in the moment and not take his eye off the ball.
“As far as my ambitions are concerned, I change them according to the circumstances and the tournaments I’m playing. Right now, I am taking the World Cup one match at a time because it’s a very difficult event. The Candidates is still a far-off and huge commitment,” he says.
