NEW DELHI: The air is still full of anticipation as to whether Koneru Humpy will participate in the upcoming Women’s Candidates starting on March 28 at the Cap St Georges Hotel and Resort in Pegeia, Cyprus.While TimesofIndia.com has already confirmed that the other three participants R Praggnanandhaa, R Vaishali and Divya Deshmukh will travel to Cyprus for the tournament, Humpy on Wednesday reiterated her concerns about the trip to Cyprus amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
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Koneru Humpy Exclusive: Why the chess legend hasn’t played since losing the World ChampionshipIn an interview with X, she wrote: “I know I can’t change anything on my own. But regardless of whether I play in the candidates or not, I felt it was important to express what I really feel.”“I am truly grateful to everyone who has shown their support. For those who cannot understand the sensitivity of this situation, she has decided to leave it at that,” she added.While uncertainty still lingers, Humpy’s potential withdrawal may not only be about missing candidates, the only gateway to a World Cup match, but could also have bigger financial implications.Section 3.5 “FIDE 2026 Female Candidates Tournament Rules” FIDE states that “players who fail to provide a satisfactory reason for withdrawal after signing a player contract may be fined up to ten thousand (10,000) Euros”, which is more than Rs 10 million in Indian currency. However, the final decision on the amount, or whether it should be imposed at all, will be taken by the FIDE Council.Speaking to TOI about Humpy’s concerns, FIDE Director General Emil Šutovský said: “We discussed the matter with Humpy and agreed on a date by which he would make a final decision. It was in good spirit and FIDE will not comment on the exact date, but it is reasonable and suits both Humpy and us.”It is understood Humpy’s camp will take a call on whether to travel to Cyprus by next Monday.According to FIDE regulations, Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk will be called as a replacement if the 38-year veteran Grandmaster (GM) does not travel.
Anna Muzychuk (photo by Norwegian Chess/Michal Walusza)
Muzychuk, a two-time blitz world champion and one-time fast pace world champion, qualifies under FIDE Section 2.2, which states: “If any substitution is required, the place will be allocated to the next unqualified player(s) of the ‘FIDE Women’s Events 2024–25’.” Although Muzychuk is ranked ninth, she can benefit because all the players above her have already qualified.
A setback for Indian chess?
Humpy qualified for the 2026 Women’s Candidates after finishing second in the 2025 Women’s World Cup. Seasoned Grandmaster and coach GM Shyam Sundar Mohanraj, who was the head of the Indian team’s delegation to Batumi during the World Cup, believes that her withdrawal would be “the downfall of Indian chess”.“It will definitely be a setback for Indian chess (if it doesn’t go). But at the same time, we just hope that all the conflicts or whatever is going on will be resolved soon because we don’t know until the last minute,” Shyam told this website.“Whatever Humpy felt about her participation, it’s her personal choice… Being there at the FIDE Women’s World Championship, I personally saw the hard work of all the players, as the tie-break in particular was mentally and physically exhausting.”Apart from Humpy, Vaishali and Divya will feature in the Women’s Candidates category, while Praggnanandhaa will be India’s sole representative in the open section.“They put in a lot of energy, made a lot of sacrifices and showed a lot of mental toughness to qualify for an event like this. It’s a grueling process,” he added.READ ALSO: Mother Quits Son Script History: How Mayank Chakraborty, 16, Became Northeast’s 1st CEO“Certain things are out of our control and it looks like other players are involved. It’s their personal choice and the priority at the moment. But I hope everything will be resolved soon.”
