Why Did Koneru Humpy Choose To Skip FIDE Women’s Candidates Championship In Cyprus?

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Indian chess Grandmaster and a Padma Shri awardee, Koneru Humpy, has decided to skip the Candidates tournament in Cyprus. The decision was taken by the 38-year-old due to the raging war in West Asia.

In a post on her official X (formerly Twitter) account, the chess Grandmaster wrote, "After deep reflection, I have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from the FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament."

Cyprus, the host country, isn't exactly in a war zone but faced a missile strike during the initial days of the ongoing Israel-Iran war, which began on February 28. The ongoing war has also disrupted the Formula 1 schedule with both the Saudi Arabia and Bahrain races cancelled.

Why Did Koneru Humpy Decide To Skip FIDE?

In her statement, the 38-year-old explained that her decision was driven by concerns over her personal safety and well-being, saying that no competition, regardless of its significance, is worth compromising those priorities. She added that even after receiving assurances, she did not feel entirely secure in the current situation.

Expressing her disappointment, Humpy described the choice as a difficult but necessary one, while standing firmly by her decision.

How Will It Change The Dynamics Of Indian Chess This Year?

The winner of the FIDE Candidates tournament gets to challenge the FIDE World Champion. With Humpy out of contention, R Vaishali and Divya Deshmukh will now represent Indian women in the event. The winner of the tournament will challenge China's Ju Wenjun for the women's title.