Pentala Harikrishna Height, Weight, Age, Family, Facts, Spouse, Biography

Pantala Harikrishna is an Indian chess player who is widely acknowledged as one of the best chess players the country has produced. In September 2001, at the age of just 15, he became the youngest Indian Chess Grandmaster at that time. he had won Commonwealth Chess Championship in 2001, World Junior Chess Championship in 2004, and Asian Chess Championship in 2011. He also won the ‘gold’ medal in the mixed team event in 2006 Doha asian games, and ‘Bronze’ medal in 2010 World Team Chess Championship As well as in the men’s team event in Guangzhou of 2010 asian games, His other notable victories include: Tata Steel Group B in 2012 and Beale MTO Masters Tournament in 2013. Between 2000 and 2012, he represented India in 7 different editions Chess Olympiad, In November 2016, he achieved his peak position of 9 in Fide (Federation Internationale des Echeux) men’s world rankings. The next month, he achieved his peak Fide Rating of 2770. For his services to the sport, the Government of India honored him with Arjuna Award (second highest sporting honor in India) in 2006.

name at birth

Pantala Harikrishna

nick name

Hari

Sun sign

Taurus

birth place

Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India

Habitat

He divides his time between Prague, Czech Republic and Hyderabad, Telangana, India.

nationality

Business

chess players

family

• father – P Nageswara Rao
• other Ranga Rao (Grandfather)

Make

slim

height

5 feet 10 inches or 178 cm

weight

72 kg or 158.5 lbs

girlfriend / spouse

Pantala has dated –

1. Nadezhda Stojanovic (2018-Present) – Pantala married former Serbian chess player Nadezhda Stojanovic in March 2018 in a ceremony held in Hyderabad. They have a daughter named Maya (b. 2021).
   

Caste / Ethnicity

Asian (Indian)

hair color

black

eye color

dark brown

sexual orientation

Straight

special features

• slim frame
• side, wavy hair
• spectator
• friendly smile
• often sports a light stub

Facts of Pantala Harikrishna

1. Pantala started learning to play chess at the age of just 4. His first chess coach was his grandfather Ranga Rao.
2. He then progressed rapidly and was a highly successful junior player, winning the Under-8 (1993), Under-10 (1995), Under-14 (1999), Under-15 (1998) and the Indian National Chess Championship. Under-18 (1998) Tier.
3. He also won the Under-10 title world Championship in 1996 and under-18 title Commonwealth Chess Championship in 1999.
4. That 2000. Was a part of the Indian team for Chess Olympiad (October-November 2000) At just 14 years old. In the tournament, he scored 6.5 out of 11 rounds and earned his first Grandmaster Criterion.
5. His second and third criteria came within a few months of the first with a result of 6.5/13 chorus group b Event and outcome of 7/11 Asian Individual Chess Championship,
6. This final criterion achieved his Grandmaster title, reaching the required Fide 2500 rating. This gave him the 2002 . also qualified to participate in FIDE World Chess Championship,
7. when they won World Junior Chess Championship In 2004, he became the third Indian player to achieve the feat after Viswanathan Anand (1987) and Koneru Humpy (2001).
8. As of May 2022, he was one of only 3 Indian players to defeat long-term world champion, Magnus Carlsen, in any given format. The other 2 players to do so are Viswanathan Anand and Rameshbabu Pragyanand.

Featured image by Pantala Harikrishna / Instagram