KONERU Humpy still remembers a discussion in their house when her daughter, after a geography lesson at school, chimed in. "'Mumma,'" Humpy recounts to this daily on the sidelines of the Global Chess League (GCL) in the city, "'when a volcano has just erupted, people are advised to move away from it. Nobody is encouraged to go near it. So why are you discussing going to a place where there is a war.'"
It was one of the many points of view which helped her in making a decision to withdraw from the women's Candidates. The tournament in Cyprus, eventually won by another Indian (R Vaishali), was one of the biggest chess events of the year. Humpy, like others, had dedicated the last two years of her life in the hope of qualifying for the 2026 edition.
Once she qualified via the circuit, she hunkered down. She spent the best part of two months preparing openings, novelties and tricks against seven different opponents. Even though she had been a world champion in another format (Rapid; twice), becoming world champion in Classical carries a different gravitas. Having played the final once in 2011, she had been determined to give it another shot.
But as soon as war broke out between the US and Iran in the fag end of February — Cyprus wasn't an active participant to it but its geographical proximity as well as the presence of a British base made it vulnerable — Humpy began to worry. "If the choice was between family and profession," the 39-year-old, part of the Alpine APL Pipers team in the fourth edition, says, "it's always family. We had a general discussion at home. Post the discussion, the decision they had taken was unanimous. I don't think there was anything wrong in my decision."
Even if the decision did upset her, what really caused 'the sleepless nights' was how people reacted to it. "I saw some of the comments, it caused me some sleepless nights. It did affect me for a few months."
That, though, is in the past. "I just want to enjoy chess now," she says. And she's enjoying being part of the Pipers team, one of the teams ideally placed to enter Sunday's grand final. Once the event is over, Humpy will don the garb of veteran as the Indian women's team look to defend the Olympiad title they won in 2024. She herself has extra motivation as she missed the 2024 event. This time, with there being no D Harika, Humpy, somebody who will likely be on Board 1 at the Olympiad, will be the leader of a very young team. Between winning something and retaining a title, the bigger challenge lies in retaining. And the 39-year-old doesn't shy away from saying that she reckons India are one of the favourites. "One of the best teams we have ever had," she says. "I think the expectation is gold. It's a golden opportunity to prove ourselves but winning it twice is not an easy task."
The women's team, seeded first and also comprising the likes of R Vaishali, Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal and B Savitha Shri, though, know they have a chance to make history.
Perhaps, herstory.
