Global Chess League players

Harika Dronavalli at the Global Chess League

Grandmaster, India. CheQ Mumba Masters, Superstar, women's boards.

Harika Dronavalli is a grandmaster from Guntur, India. She won bronze at the knockout Women's World Championship three times, in 2012, 2015 and 2017, and team gold with India at the 2024 Chess Olympiad in Budapest.

FIDE title
Grandmaster
Federation
India
2026 team
CheQ Mumba Masters
2026 board
Superstar, women's boards
Seasons
2023, 2024, 2025, 2026
FIDE id
5015197

Harika is one of the few players who has stayed with one franchise in every season. She has played a women's Superstar board for the Mumba Masters since 2023 and continues with the CheQ Mumba Masters in 2026.

In the 2026 season Harika plays for the CheQ Mumba Masters on one of the two Superstar women's boards. The season runs from 5 to 13 September 2026 in Bengaluru, India.

Global Chess League record

In 2023 the upGrad Mumba Masters reached the first league final in Dubai and lost to the Triveni Continental Kings on a sudden-death tiebreak after one match each. In 2024 the Masters did not reach the final in London, and in 2025 they finished fifth in Mumbai.

  1. 1.2023: upGrad Mumba Masters, Superstar (women's boards). Team result: runners-up.
  2. 2.2024: upGrad Mumba Masters, Superstar (women's boards). Team result: did not reach the final.
  3. 3.2025: upGrad Mumba Masters, Superstar (women's boards). Team result: fifth.

Career highlights

  1. 1.Bronze medals at the Women's World Championship knockouts of 2012, 2015 and 2017.
  2. 2.Team gold with India at the 2024 Chess Olympiad in Budapest.
  3. 3.Two gold medals at the 2026 Asian women's championships.
  4. 4.Recipient of the Arjuna Award, India's national sports honour.
  5. 5.Has played every Global Chess League season for the Mumba Masters, including the 2023 final.
  6. 6.On the September 2026 FIDE rating list, Harika is rated 2453 in classical chess, 2415 in rapid and 2355 in blitz.

2026 season

Harika Dronavalli plays the 2026 season with the CheQ Mumba Masters, which runs from 5 to 13 September 2026 in Bengaluru, India. Harika's squad mates are Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Pranesh M, Carissa Yip and Bardiya Daneshvar.

Each Global Chess League match is played on six boards of rapid chess, one board per squad member, and a win with Black earns the team more game points than a win with White. The format and scoring page explains the points. Matches are streamed free; the how-to-watch page lists the streams and the IST start times.

  • Matches played: 10
  • Match points: 15
  • Game points: 85
  • Position: 4 of 6
  1. 1.Saturday 5 September, 18:30 IST: CheQ Mumba Masters 8–10 Alpine APL Pipers
  2. 2.Sunday 6 September, 17:00 IST: PBG Alaskan Knights 11–6 CheQ Mumba Masters
  3. 3.Sunday 6 September, 20:00 IST: CheQ Mumba Masters 10–9 Triveni Continental Kings
  4. 4.Monday 7 September, 17:00 IST: CheQ Mumba Masters 12–3 Ganges Grandmasters
  5. 5.Tuesday 8 September, 17:00 IST: FYERS American Gambits 6–11 CheQ Mumba Masters
  6. 6.Wednesday 9 September, 15:30 IST: Alpine APL Pipers 11–6 CheQ Mumba Masters
  7. 7.Wednesday 9 September, 18:30 IST: CheQ Mumba Masters 6–11 PBG Alaskan Knights
  8. 8.Thursday 10 September, 17:00 IST: Triveni Continental Kings 5–14 CheQ Mumba Masters
  9. 9.Friday 11 September, 20:00 IST: Ganges Grandmasters 16–1 CheQ Mumba Masters
  10. 10.Saturday 12 September, 20:00 IST: FYERS American Gambits 6–11 CheQ Mumba Masters

Results were last checked on 13 September 2026 at 8:36 PM IST.

The 2026 final is in progress. Scores so far: Finals | Game 1: Alpine APL Pipers 8, Ganges Grandmasters 7; Finals | Game 2: Alpine APL Pipers 4, Ganges Grandmasters 12.

2026 games

Harika has 12 finished games in the 2026 season: 4 wins, 8 draws, 0 losses, 21 team points earned.

  1. 1.Saturday 5 September, 18:30 IST: board 4, White against Divya Deshmukh (Alpine APL Pipers), win.
  2. 2.Sunday 6 September, 17:00 IST: board 4, Black against Lagno, Kateryna (PBG Alaskan Knights), draw.
  3. 3.Sunday 6 September, 20:00 IST: board 4, White against Zhu, Jiner (Triveni Continental Kings), win.
  4. 4.Monday 7 September, 17:00 IST: board 4, White against Shuvalova, Polina (Ganges Grandmasters), draw.
  5. 5.Tuesday 8 September, 17:00 IST: board 4, Black against Assaubayeva, Bibisara (FYERS American Gambits), draw.
  6. 6.Wednesday 9 September, 15:30 IST: board 4, Black against Divya Deshmukh (Alpine APL Pipers), win.
  7. 7.Wednesday 9 September, 18:30 IST: board 4, White against Lagno, Kateryna (PBG Alaskan Knights), draw.
  8. 8.Thursday 10 September, 17:00 IST: board 4, Black against Zhu, Jiner (Triveni Continental Kings), draw.
  9. 9.Friday 11 September, 20:00 IST: board 4, Black against Shuvalova, Polina (Ganges Grandmasters), draw.
  10. 10.Saturday 12 September, 20:00 IST: board 4, White against Assaubayeva, Bibisara (FYERS American Gambits), draw.
  11. 11.Sunday 13 September, 15:30 IST: board 4, White against Assaubayeva, Bibisara (FYERS American Gambits), win.
  12. 12.Sunday 13 September, 16:33 IST: board 4, Black against Assaubayeva, Bibisara (FYERS American Gambits), draw.

Daily reports mentioning Harika

  1. 1.Day 1: Gambits win twice to take the first lead
  2. 2.Day 2: Grandmasters stop Gambits as three teams tie
  3. 3.Day 5: Gambits hold lead in three-way tie
  4. 4.The final: Grandmasters force a split with two Black wins

Frequently asked questions

Which team does Harika play for in the Global Chess League 2026?

Harika Dronavalli plays for the CheQ Mumba Masters in the 2026 season in Bengaluru, India, on one of the two Superstar women's boards.

Has Harika won the Global Chess League?

No. Harika has played every season for the Mumba Masters: runners-up in 2023, out of the final in 2024 and fifth in 2025. The 2026 final is in progress. Scores so far: Finals | Game 1: Alpine APL Pipers 8, Ganges Grandmasters 7; Finals | Game 2: Alpine APL Pipers 4, Ganges Grandmasters 12.

What is Harika's FIDE rating?

On the September 2026 FIDE rating list, Harika Dronavalli is rated 2453 in classical chess, 2415 in rapid and 2355 in blitz.

Where can I watch Harika play in the Global Chess League 2026?

The 2026 season is streamed free on the Global Chess League YouTube channel and its partner channels. Every CheQ Mumba Masters match is a six-board rapid match; the start times in IST are on the schedule and how-to-watch pages of this site.

More on the league: the Global Chess League 2026 hub, the schedule, the points table and the league overview with every season since 2023.

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