Kamal Ghorui
Indian chess star Koneru Humpy is considering withdrawing from the upcoming FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament, which will be held in Cyprus. Her concern is mainly about safety because of the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran in the Middle East.The tournament location was decided in November last year, but the situation has changed after military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran starting February 28. The conflict has increased tensions across the region and even affected oil supply routes.
A drone strike on a British air base in Cyprus on March 1 also raised worries about security. With European warships and Turkish fighter jets now guarding the island, questions have been raised about whether Cyprus is the right place to host such an important chess event.Humpy, one of three Indian players expected to compete in the Women’s Candidates event, along with Divya Deshmukh and R Vaishali, has voiced her concerns over the Candidates participation. In an interview with the Hindustan Times, she said, “It just does not make any sense. It is dangerous to travel anywhere near West Asia at this point when there is so much tension and uncertainty. The war started around a fortnight ago, it is still ongoing, and the tournament is less than two weeks away.”She also questioned the organisers’ decision, adding, “From an organisational point of view, it is just not the right call. It is one of the most crucial tournaments and you have just 16 top players (combining Open and Women) to think of, why not look at alternatives and different dates?”Despite the concerns, the international chess governing body FIDE says preparations are continuing. FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky explained that organisers are closely watching the situation but believe the country is still safe. “Our plans haven’t changed. We are in the final stages of preparing the Candidates’ Tournament. Of course, we are monitoring the situation. Cyprus isn’t too far from, let us say, the war zone or conflict zone, but at the same time, it’s not involved in any way and isn’t in a state of war,” he told ChessBase India.He added, “There is no emergency or anything like that. Of course, about 10 days ago, there was some worrying news, but since then, the situation has appeared quite calm.”
