Balance and calm key to Humpy's upturn

Hindustan Times

3 hours ago

Mumbai:There was a certain air of calm and ease around Koneru Humpy during the damp days of 2025 Norway Chess. She did not mind sparing some time for a chat with the visiting Indian media – a rarity among players there. She was one of the more interactive and intriguingly enthusiastic participants for the off-beat games at a getaway on the tournament's first rest day.
The mindset reflected in how the 38-year-old felt about her chess in the same tournament this year compared to the last, as well as the end result. For parts of the event that ran from May 26 to June 6, Humpy was the frontrunner in a strong six-woman field that included world classical champion Ju Wenjun, world No.3 Lei Tingjie and world No.6 Anna Muzychuk. The Indian world No.6 eventually signed off third, yet not before notching up three classical wins and five draws from 10 games. In 2024, she finished fifth with a solitary classical win and three defeats.
Humpy's upturn at Norway Chess epitomized her classical fortunes over the past 18 months. If 2024 was a freefall – she dropped the most rating points last year, incidentally, at Norway Chess – in her classical form, 2025 has been upbeat so far. The ignition would come in the form of the world rapid title that Humpy reclaimed last December after a gap of five years. It also picked up her momentum in classical. She finished joint leader at the FIDE Grand Prix in Monaco and won the Pune Grand Prix in April coming into Norway Chess. Currently competing at the Cairns Cup in USA's St. Louis, Humpy is tied for the lead after seven rounds.
'I'm very happy with the results, especially the latest ones – winning the World Rapid title and Grand Prix in Pune,' Humpy said. 'I was not expecting to get the second world title. I wasn't doing well last year. I was underperforming in many tournaments. Norway Chess, especially, was disastrous for me last year.
'I lost my ratings heavily, and dropped down in the world rankings too. With my recent two Grand Prix performances, I've regained my ratings. But still, I want to improve it further.'
Humpy is currently rated 2543 in classical, up from 2523 a few months ago. For someone who achieved her peak rating of 2623 way back in 2009, the 38-year-old still carries the eagerness to arrest the slide, steady things and continue the demanding climb back up.
'It's always about the fighting spirit, and about not accepting defeats,' she said. 'You want to prove to yourself more than anyone else that you are the best. And that's what keeps me going still.'
There was a point last year, especially after tournaments like Norway Chess and Tata Steel ended in disappointments, that Humpy contemplated giving up playing chess professionally. But her preference of heading back home after every tournament to her family and daughter came in handy. Competing in back-to-back tournaments in Norway and USA, she said, is a rare exception.
''When I lose, I don't sign up (for tournaments) quickly. I take time to recover and to work more. Sometimes it's very hard to come back from some losses. But for me, it's a bit different compared to the youngsters because I have a family and a young kid at home. Once I go back home, I'm completely relaxed and out of this chess world,' she said.
Stepping back and taking a pause from that world at times is something even Viswanathan Anand has advised the young Indian chess stars aiming for the sky. It's easier said than done for some but for Humpy, she finds as much happiness staying at home as she does competing for ratings and titles around the globe. Even though her father may still be hooked to online chess daily, Humpy ensures she doesn't look at chess when home, 'sometimes for weeks'.
'I enjoy when I'm playing, but when not, I'm completely switched off,' she said. 'Sometimes I desperately want to take a break because I enjoy my time at home and spending time with my kid. Even before the family, I wasn't a player who liked playing a lot of tournaments in a row. I like going back and analysing all my games and getting refreshed for a new tournament.'
It's a routine the world rapid champion has had in place for years. Recently, there was a little shake up when her father began sharing chess videos with her which she made a point of watching. Routines can be tough to tweak, especially for a 38-year-old who has done things a certain way for years. Humpy, though, welcomed the change and new ways to learn even at this stage of her career.
'Recently I've started seeing more chess videos on the internet, and also solving puzzles on a daily basis,' she said. 'It was not my routine before. It was challenging at first, no doubt. But once I got used to it, I started enjoying it even more than the regular stuff.'