New Delhi: Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy has expressed her concern about the participation in the FIDE Candidates Tournament in Cyprus. Humpy, in a social media post on Wednesday, said that she is still unsure about her participation in the event amid the rising conflict in the West Asian part of the world.
Though FIDE has said that the venue is safe but a recent drone attack and regional tensions have raised a lot of fear, especially among those who are set to travel to the middle eastern country. The FIDE Candidates Tournaments, which is set to take place from March 28 to April 16, will determine the challengers for the World Championship and Women’s World Championship titles, currently held by D Gukesh (men) and Ju Wenjun (women).
As far as the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament is concerned, it is scheduled to begin from March 28 at the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort, located on the western side of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. It will involve over 14 rounds of classical play and also decided who advances to the contest for the crown in the last stage of the World Championship cycle.
Humpy expresses concern over Cyprus travel
‘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,’ Humpy wrote on X.
Humpy happens to be one of the most experienced players in the field as she has multiple prior Candidates appearances to her name. A former World Championship contender, she also qualified as the runner-up in the 2025 Women’s World Cup, held in Batumi.