India’s Grand Master Harika Dronavalli held on to her nerves to capture the Fide Women’s Grand Prix trophy in Chendu in China .Harika, playing with white against Russia’s Olga Girya, won her maiden career GP title. Harika finished on 7 points in the round robin tournament featuring the world’s top 12 players to be crowned the champion.

Other India Grand Master Koneru Humpy too rounded off her campaign with a victory to also finish on 7 points. Harika, however, was declared winner for finishing with a better tie-break record in the tournament.

About GM Harika Dronavalli

Harika Dronavalli was born on  12 January 1991 is an Indian chess grandmaster. She gradually came to prominence winning the World Youth Chess Championship in the Girls’ Under-14 and Under-18 categories. her personal coach is N.V.S. Raju .

Achievements

• Harika earned the Grandmaster title in July 2011.
• She won the Commonwealth Women’s Championship three times in 2006, 2007 and 2010.
• She has won three World Youth Chess Championship titles: in 2004, she won the Girls Under-14 in Heraklion, Greece, and in 2006, she won the Girls Under 18 in Batumi, Georgia.
• She was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2007.
• She won Bronze medal in 2010 Asian Games in Woman’s individual rapid event
• She became the second Indian woman (after Koneru Humpy) to achieve the title of Grandmaster at the men’s level.