'Young Indian girls need to get more training'
Nagpur:
Twenty-three years after Koneru Humpy achieved the Grandmaster title, becoming one of the youngest — and first Indian — women GMs in 2002, the 38-year-old has been carrying the Indian flag for over two decades.
At the Women's Chess World Cup, Humpy secured a silver medal and also confirmed her second successive entry to the 2026 Candidates chess tournament.
Though she went down fighting to Divya in a thrilling title clash, the two-time World rapid champion is satisfied with her performance. 'I didn't expect to do well in this knockout tournament considering my age, as the format needs a lot of energy. I am happy that I was able to beat strong players,' Humpy told TOI.
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Revealing her trainer's (seconds in chess) name, Humpy said, 'I was able to do well thanks to my second, IM Kushager Krishnater, who has worked hard with sleepless nights.' There are only four women among the 88 Indian GMs. By winning the World Cup, Divya chose the shortest route to become a GM. With 19-yearold Divya joining the elite club of Humpy, D Harika, and R Vaishali, young players will get motivated to pick up the sport.
Poll
Do you think Koneru Humpy will continue to perform well in future tournaments?
Yes, she has proven her skills.
No, it's time for new players to shine.
Divya's achievement means a lot to Indian women's chess, which had been looking for a worthy successor to Humpy, who is not done yet. Now India has two Candidates, one of whom will look to become the challenger to the world champion in 2026.
Humpy said, 'We have a bunch of new generation players, and it's a positive sign that we are growing in the right direction. I think we need to give more training to the young girls to improve further.'
Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
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