Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: The air is still filled with anticipation over whether Koneru Humpy will take part in the upcoming Women’s Candidates, starting March 28 at the Cap St Georges Hotel and Resort in Pegeia, Cyprus.While TimesofIndia.com have already confirmed that the other three participants in R Praggnanandhaa, R Vaishali, and Divya Deshmukh will be travelling to Cyprus for the tournament, Humpy on Wednesday once again reiterated her concerns about travelling to Cyprus amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
Taking to X, she wrote, “I know that alone, I may not be able to change anything. But regardless of whether I play in the Candidates or not, I felt it was important to express what I genuinely feel.”“I’m truly grateful to everyone who has shown their support. For those who cannot understand the sensitivity of this situation, I choose to leave it at that,” she added.While uncertainty still lingers, Humpy’s potential withdrawal may not just be about missing the Candidates, the only gateway to the World Championship match, but could also have larger financial implications.Section 3.5 of FIDE’s “Regulations for the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026” states that “players who fail to provide a satisfactory reason for withdrawal after they have signed the player’s contract may be imposed a fine of up to ten thousand (10,000) euros”, which is over Rs 10 lakh 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 CEO Emil Sutovsky had stated, “We have discussed the issue with Humpy and agreed on a date by which she will make a final decision. It was in good spirit, and FIDE will not comment on the exact date, but it is reasonable and suited both Humpy and ourselves.”It is understood that Humpy’s camp will take a call on whether to travel to Cyprus by next Monday.According to FIDE regulations, Anna Muzychuk of Ukraine will be called up as a replacement if the 38-year-old veteran Grandmaster (GM) does not travel.
Anna Muzychuk (Photo by Norway Chess/Michal Walusza)
Muzychuk, a two-time World Blitz champion and one-time World Rapid champion, will qualify under FIDE’s section 2.2, which states: “If any replacement is needed, the spot shall be awarded to the next yet unqualified player(s) of the ‘FIDE Women’s Events 2024–25’.” Despite being ninth on the leaderboard, Muzychuk stands to benefit as all players above her have already qualified.
A setback for Indian chess ?
Humpy qualified for the Women’s Candidates 2026 after finishing runner-up in the 2025 Women’s World Cup. Veteran Grandmaster and coach GM Shyam Sundar Mohanraj, who was head of delegation for the Indian team in Batumi during the World Cup, feels that her withdrawal would be a “setback for Indian chess”.“Definitely, it will be a setback for Indian chess (if she doesn’t go). But at the same time, we just hope that all the conflicts or whatever is happening resolves soon, because till the last moment, we don’t know,” Shyam told this website.“Whatever Humpy felt about participating, it’s her own personal choice… Being there at the FIDE Women’s World Cup, I personally saw the hard work done by all the players, because the tie-break, especially, was mentally and physically exhausting.”Besides Humpy, Vaishali and Divya will be playing in the Women’s Candidates, while Praggnanandhaa will be India’s sole representative in the open section.“They have spent lots of energy, made many sacrifices, and shown great mental toughness to qualify for such an event. It’s a gruelling process,” he further added.ALSO READ: Mother quit job, son scripts history: How Mayank Chakraborty, 16, became Northeast’s 1st GM“Certain things are not in our control, and it looks like other players are also participating. It’s their personal choice and their priority at the moment. But I hope everything resolves soon.”
