Harikrishnan A Ra becomes India's 87th Grandmaster
The 23-year-old finally earned his third and final GM-norm in the La Plagne International Chess Festival in France on Friday (July 11, 2025). Harikrishnan drew with his countrymate P. Iniyan in the final round to finish fourth and become India's 87th GM.
Speaking from La Plagne (France), Harikrishnan expressed a sigh of relief. 'Feel very happy. It's been seven years. I agree there was a huge delay to become a GM. From 2022, I have been competing regularly in tournaments, but couldn't get the GM norms. It was really a struggle,' Harikrishnan told The Hindu on Saturday (July 12, 2025).
He got his first GM-norm in the Biel International Chess Festival in 2023 in Switzerland and his second norm in the Lince Andujar Chess Open in June this year in Spain.
According to Harikrishnan, he knew that he needed 1.5 points in the last two rounds to become a GM. 'There was pressure and I am glad I did it,' he said. He defeated Jules Moussard of France in the eighth round and drew with Iniyan in the ninth and last round to complete his third GM-norm.
Harikrishnan, who just completed his M. Com from SRM, is contemplating playing in quite a few tournaments in Spain and Portugal before returning to his hometown Chennai. 'I want to continue playing till I get the Elo rating of 2600. I also plan to do my Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in USA,' he said.
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