Grandmaster Harika Dronavalli was seated on dias in the middle of the felicitation function for the gold-medal winning chess Olympiad teams, when she heard her two-year-old daughter Hanvika call out for her from the audience. Not wanting to disturb the flow of her teammate Divya Deshmukh, who was speaking at that point, Harika gestured to her grandmother, Sudeshna Devi, 77, to distract Hanvika but it didn’t work.
And so Harika got off the stage, carried her daughter in her arms and walked towards the end of the packed hall during the felicitation organised by the All India Chess Federation .
Harika has been away from her daughter for over three weeks, helping India win a historic double-gold in Budapest – Open and Women’s event – at the Chess Olympiad. The 33-year-old veteran, who played the top board for the women’s team, said she wasn’t worried how Hanvika would cope because she got the best possible care: her sister, mother, and grandmother forming the support system back home in Guntur.
The 33-year-old veteran, who played the top board for the women’s team, said she wasn’t worried how Hanvika would cope because she got the best possible care: her sister, mother, and grandmother forming the support system back home in Guntur. (Express Photo by Anil Sharma)
“I was never worried when I was away from her, because I know she was in much safer hands than me. No one can take care of her better than my parents, grandmom and sister. They will take extra care because they know I am not there. There have been times when I haven’t spoken to her for weeks because you can get emotional talking to your daughter. It is difficult,” Harika said.
When Harika beat Azerbaijan’s Gunay Mammadzada in the final round for a crucial win, she clasped her face in her hands and cried. Those were tears of relief and joy she says. Harika debuted at the Chess Olympiad in 2004 and it took her two decades to be part of a gold-medal winning team. In 2022, when the women’s team won bronze, she was expecting her child and could not play a crucial game because the doctor had advised her against sitting for too long.
“I guess my wait for gold has been the longest among players I know. Over the years I never understood why this (chess Olympiad) is not being cracked. Last time it was during my pregnancy and after that I somehow started doubting if this would happen (India winning gold). I am an emotional person and after I became a mom I have started openly showing emotion even more,” Harika said.
She wasn’t expected to be part of the Olympiad squad this time around. But coach and team captain Abhijit Kunte wanted either one of the veterans, Harika or Koneru Humpy to play. Humpy opted out because of ‘personal reasons’, Kunte said. “Harika asked me to give her a day to think about it,” he recalled.
Harika, however, was busy planning Hanvika’s second birthday. The family was set to travel to Bali and she wanted to plan the entire trip on her own. “On August 9 I got back to India from another tournament and on August 24 we had to be in Bali. I had to make the family trip perfect because I am a perfectionist. I didn’t get enough time to prepare for the Olympiad and I was feeling guilty about it. But I am happy I held my ground (at the Olympiad)”.
Other than her daughter’s birthday, Harika had other things on her mind too. Her mother and grandmother both had scheduled knee surgeries which had to be put on hold. Since the Chess Olympiad box has now been ticked Harika can focus on the homefront again.
Catching them young
Hanvika has already been exposed to the game of chess, but Harika is not obsessed with her daughter following in her footsteps.
“So we do take up a chessboard. She knows pieces. She understands,” Harika said. But as a two-year-old, you never know whether she will display her skills or not. As a mother, I’m trying to inculcate sports into her interests. But in this generation, kids know what they want early on. I can’t decide for her. I just would love it if she could choose any sport, even if it’s success or failure. I think sport teaches a lot… taking setbacks or how to handle failures. It makes you more mature at a very early age and disciplined. So I believe that it can help a lot in life.”
Now that she has tasted gold-medal winning success, Harika is still mulling about her Olympiad future. The joy of victory and the felicitations, including meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is too fresh in her mind to make a big decision immediately.
“I really don’t know. I think it’s too many emotions right now going on. It’s just a good feeling to finish in a gold medal team. Maybe… I don’t know what will happen in the future after two years, what will be the situation. But right now if you ask me my feelings, I’m like, okay. I think enough… too much stress. And maybe I can concentrate on my individual game rather than playing all this (team events) This is my mental state right now. But I don’t want to be like, a hundred percent sure, and then come back and play because I really don’t know what will happen after two years.”
