Chess | Harikrishna readying for Sochi World Cup

Pandemic is a real test of character for everyone, he says.

For someone known for making the best moves against the toughest opponents on the 64 squares, GM P. Harikrishna is enjoying being ‘cornered’ by a new member in his family — three-month-old daughter Maya. “It has been a fabulous time no doubt. Obviously, chess took a back seat for the last few months as we (he and wife, former Serbian chess player Nadezda Stojanovic) are busy taking care of our new family member,” Harikrishna said in a chat with The Hindu from Prague, his second home now. “The last event I competed was the Tata Steel and I was happy with my performance having drawn my games against the likes of Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana. So essentially, my focus will be the next World Cup scheduled in Sochi (Russia) this July,” said the former World junior champion. “As things stand, it is still on and hope it remains so,” he added.