Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy is reconsidering her participation in the Candidates Tournament in Cyprus, citing safety concerns stemming from the ongoing conflict in West Asia, raising questions about the tournament’s security.
IMAGE: Koneru Humpy had said that she was hesitant to travel and was considering withdrawing from the tournament. Photograph: Koneru Humpy/Instagram
Key Points
- Koneru Humpy expresses concerns about the safety situation in Cyprus, the host country for the Candidates Tournament, due to the West Asia conflict.
- Humpy is undecided about participating in the Candidates Tournament, which determines the challengers for the world chess championship.
- FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky dismisses safety concerns, stating Cyprus is not directly involved in the conflict and the tournament preparations are ongoing.
- A drone attack on a British air base in Cyprus earlier this month heightened fears about the island’s security.
Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy is still undecided about competing at the prestigious Candidates Tournament in Cyprus this month but reiterated her concerns regarding the safety situation in the host country amid the West Asia conflict.
The Candidates, which will decide the challengers to the world championship crowns currently held by D Gukesh (men) and Ju Wenjun (women), is scheduled to begin on March 28.
“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,” she posted on ‘X’ on Wednesday.
“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.
Earlier this week, the two-time Women’s World Rapid Champion and former women’s world title challenger, had said that she was hesitant to travel and was considering withdrawing from the tournament.
This came after a British air base in Cyprus endured a drone attack earlier this month, raising fears that the conflict, which began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran, could seriously affect the security at the island as well.
FIDE’s Response to Safety Concerns
However, FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky brushed off the concerns, saying there is nothing even “remotely dangerous” to warrant a change of venue. Gulf countries are currently caught in the crossfire and the air space over the region has been largely shut.
“Our plans have not changed. We are in the final stages of preparing (for) the Candidates Tournament. Of course, we are monitoring the situation,” Sutovsky had said.
“Cyprus is not too far from, let’s say, the war zone or conflict zone, but at the same time, it is not directly involved in any way and is not in a state of war,” he added.
Cyprus, which is the third largest island on the Mediterranean sea, is situated south of Turkey and is a member of the European Union.
Besides Humpy, R Vaishali has also qualified for the women’s Candidates while R Praggnanandhaa is the lone Indian in fray in the Open section.
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