P. Harikrishna won the World Junior Chess Championship in Kochi, Kerala, in November 2004 at the age of 18 years and 204 days. His victory made him the sixth Indian to win the prestigious junior world title, following Viswanathan Anand (1987), K. Humpy (2001), Aarthie Ramaswamy (1999), D. Harika (2008), and Abhijeet Gupta (2008).
Harikrishna was already a Grandmaster (GM) at the time, having earned the title in 2001.
He dominated the 13-round Swiss tournament, finishing with 10 points to secure the championship ahead of strong contenders.
His victory was crucial in establishing him as one of India’s top young chess players and a future elite grandmaster.
The event featured some of the strongest junior players from around the world, making his triumph even more significant.
After this win, P. Harikrishna continued to rise in the chess world, eventually becoming one of India’s top grandmasters, competing in elite tournaments, and breaking into the 2700 Elo club.
