Anna Muzychuk (image credit: X) NEW DELHI: Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk has replaced Konera Humpy at the upcoming Candidates Tournament in Cyprus after the Indian grandmaster pulled out citing security concerns over the host country’s proximity to the ongoing conflict in West Asia. The tournament, which will determine the challengers for the world title currently held by D Gukesh (Open) and Ju Wenjun (Women), is due to start in Paphos on Saturday.Humpy, a two-time women’s fast pace world champion, pulled out of the event despite assurances from organizers citing personal safety concerns.
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CSK is organizing a fan engagement event in Chepauk ahead of IPL 2026Earlier this month, a British air base in Cyprus was targeted by a drone attack, raising security concerns in the region.In a statement, FIDE confirmed that Muzychuk had been invited as Humpy’s replacement.“In accordance with the tournament rules, her (Humpy’s) place has been offered to the next highest ranked player in the 2024-25 women’s tournament series who has not yet secured qualification. As a result, Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine) will participate in the tournament,” FIDE said.Muzychuk is a former Women’s Rapid World Champion (2016) and two-time Women’s Blitz World Champion (2014, 2016). She is also a former World Championship finalist and one of the few women to break the 2600 rating mark.Earlier, explaining her decision, Humpy said personal safety remains her top priority.“After much thought, I have made the difficult decision to withdraw from the FIDE Women’s Candidates tournament,” Humpy said in a statement to ‘X’.“No event, no matter how important, can come before personal safety and well-being. Despite the assurances given, I do not feel completely safe under the current circumstances. It is a painful but necessary decision and I stand by it,” she added.Humpy risks a €10,000 fine for his decision, although FIDE is yet to comment on the matter.Nakamura also expresses concernsThe 38-year-old Indian is not alone in expressing security concerns despite FIDE’s assurances that there is nothing even “remotely dangerous” to warrant a change of venue.American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura, who is believed to have been in the island nation for the past two months before the tournament, also highlighted the problems, pointing to recent power outages in parts of Cyprus.“It’s not a good sign when the electricity goes out completely in some parts of Cyprus and doesn’t come back on for a long time,” the world number two wrote on Sunday.What started with US and Israeli bombing of Iran has escalated into a full-blown regional war, with Iran targeting Gulf countries that are considered US allies. As a result, the airspace over the area was largely closed.Humpy’s withdrawal is a setback for India as she was among the top contenders in the tournament.Brother-sister duo R Praggnanandhaa (open section) and R Vaishali (women’s event) and World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh are the other Indian women to qualify for the prestigious event.Cyprus, which is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, lies south of Turkey and is a member of the European Union. PTITranslate article Publish article Publish article beta(With inputs from PTI)
