Harikrishna: The specialist on China in Gukesh's team

The 38-year-old Indian GM speaks about his understanding of Chinese players, Ding as a friend and how the team tucked away in Spain dealt with World Championship

- Susan Ninan

It was close to New Year's Eve, after the World Rapid and Blitz tournament last year, when Pentala Harikrishna received a call from Gukesh. "I didn't have the faintest idea of what he had in mind," the 38-year-old Indian GM told HT. Turned out, the Indian teen, and now newly-crowned world champion, was calling to ask if he would be willing to help him with preparation for the Candidates.

Harikrishna joined the team, Gukesh ended up winning the Candidates and the World Championship match against China's Ding Liren was on the horizon. Interestingly, Harikrishna had spent the greater part of last year helping a Chinese player prepare for a match against a fellow Chinese. He was second to reigning women's world champion Ju Wenjun for her Women's World Championship match against Lei Tingjie.

The former world No. 10 Indian's bonds with China go back a long way. He has played several seasons in the Chinese Chess League for the Shanghai team and was teammates with Ni Hua, who was Ding's second for this match. Ni Hua was also part of Ju Wenjun's team, alongside Harikrishna for last year's match.

"I've been playing with and against Chinese players for a very long time. Many of the Chinese players are my close friends. So, you could say I understand Chinese players quite well - how they think, approach games and what absolute fighters they are," Harikrishna said. Gukesh's trainer Grzegorz Gajewski told this publication earlier how Harikrishna's inputs on the Chinese set-up were useful.