Queen’s gambit : on Koneru Humpy’s chess win

Koneru Humpy must try to repeat her success in the classical format

There was almost a sense of inevitability to the World rapid chess championship that concluded in New York on Sunday (India time). Given the astonishing year that India has had in chess, it was as if there had to be an Indian champion, and Koneru Humpy ensured there was one. The 37-year-old from Vijayawada won the women’s World rapid championship after defeating Indonesia’s Irene Sukandar in the final round. This is the second World rapid title for Humpy, which she won first in 2019. This is even more remarkable as she had been seeded 10th and had to face several younger rivals. Chess is getting younger and younger. D. Gukesh proved it just a fortnight ago in Singapore, when he became the youngest world champion in history at 18. Gukesh’s victory came in the classical variety of chess, while Humpy’s was in a format of much shorter time control. The fact that it has not been her favourite format — which remains classical — makes her success even more special. Ironically, she has never won the classical World championship, though she has come close in the past. The latest triumph should inspire her to mount another challenge for the trophy that matters the most.

Humpy’s success is only the latest reminder about India’s stature as the superpower in international chess. In September this year, India’s men’s and women’s teams emerged as champions at the Chess Olympiad, in which just about every country took part. Only the former Soviet Union and China have claimed a twin gold at the Olympiad before. India is now to world chess what the Soviet Union was for decades. The country may still have to go a long way before it could rival the popularity that chess enjoyed in the USSR during its golden days but India is churning out world beaters with remarkable consistency. An active chess federation despite the internal quibbles, a familiar tale for Indian sport, huge parental support, increasing interest from the corporate sector and the availability of Grandmasters as coaches across the country have all contributed to the Indian chess revolution, which was begun by five-time World champion Viswanathan Anand. But for India to retain its position as the global giant in the mind game, more has to be done. Except for a few States such as Tamil Nadu, chess still does not get the recognition it deserves. Recently, Tania Sachdev, a member of the victorious Indian women’s team at the Olympiad, had to go public about the lack of support for chess from the Delhi government.