Harika Dronavalli

Harika Dronavalli is an Indian Grandmaster and former Indian Women’s Champion. She is currently the second highest-rated Indian woman as well as the 15th highest-rated woman in the world. She has earned multiple medals while representing the Indian National Team, winning silver in the 2021 FIDE Women’s World Team Championship, and bronze in the 2021 FIDE Online Chess Olympiad. More recently Dronavalli led the Indian National Team to their first overall win with a team gold at the 45th Women’s Chess Olympiad in 2024. Dronavalli’s individual achievements include winning the 2016 Chengdu FIDE Women’s Grand Prix, two individual gold medals at the Asian Women Team Chess Championship in 2014 and 2016, as well as three bronze medals in the Women’s World Chess Championship in 2012, 2015 and 2017. Dronavalli has played  in every previous edition of the Cairns Cup, placing third in 2024.