The Cyprus Chess Federation has strongly criticized Indian grandmaster Konera Humpy for withdrawing from the upcoming women’s candidates tournament, with its president calling the move misguided and damaging to the sport. Criton Tornaritis, who heads the federation, expressed disappointment Humpy’s decision to withdraw from the marquee eventwhich is scheduled to begin on March 28, citing security concerns in the region.
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He said publicly raising such concerns was unwarranted and reflected poorly on the tournament and its stakeholders. Humpy pulled out of the event due to security concerns linked to ongoing tensions in the Persian Gulf region over a war between the US, Israel and Iran, with Cyprus close to a region that is witnessing heightened geopolitical tensions.
“As the President of the Cyprus Chess Federation, I am sincerely disappointed by Koner Humpy’s decision to withdraw citing that Cyprus is not ‘safe’,” Tornaritis wrote on X.
“The Candidates Tournament 2026 is one of the biggest and most important chess events in the world. This is simply wrong. Spreading unfounded fears is damaging to the sport and shows a lack of respect for the organizers and the players involved,” he added.
In a field of 16 players, Humpy is the only participant who has cited serious safety concerns. Other Indian players, R Praggnanandhaa in the Open section and Divya Deshmukh and R Vaishali in the women’s competition, remain in contention and are expected to compete in Cyprus.
WHY HUMPY WITHDRAWN FROM THE 2026 CANDIDATES
Humpy previously explained that competing in such an environment would be difficult, stating that one cannot play calmly when “surrounded by warships” guarding the island. She also drew a comparison and said that if the event could be held under such circumstances, it could also be held in Jammu and Kashmir.
Reacting to the situation, Tornaritis reiterated his stance, saying: “At the highest level of chess, decisions are based on calculations and facts, not fear or misinformation. It was a wrong move (by Humpy).”
However, Humpy stood by his decision and suggested that the tournament could have been postponed or moved without significant inconvenience. She also argued that the participation of other players does not necessarily justify the continuation of the event as planned.
“They (the International Chess Federation, FIDE) could have waited another month or so. The tension would have eased and there would have been no danger,” said Humpy, who secured her place as a candidate after finishing second at last year’s Women’s World Cup.
Concerns in the region were further heightened earlier this month after a drone strike targeted a British military base.
After Humpy’s resignation, Ukrainian Grandmaster Anna Muzychuk was named as her replacement in the draw.
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
24 March 2026 21:32 IST
