Koneru Humpy pondered retirement before returning as Queen of Indian chess
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Koneru Humpy's re-entry to the summit of chess by clinching the World Rapid title in New York on Sunday is a testament to her fighting spirit. When D Gukesh became World Chess Champion in Singapore just two weeks ago, it was rightly hailed as the arrival of a new King in Indian chess more than a decade after the great Viswanathan Anand vacated his throne.
But in Humpy's case, it could be remarked as the return of the Queen. Five years ago, Humpy won her first World title (Rapid), becoming the first Indian woman to reach the summit. But she could not maintain her high standards in the subsequent years. The 37-year-old said she had been on the verge of retiring before this "unexpected" success in New York.
"In 2019, I was quite ambitious, waiting to win my first title. But this time it was different because since the start of the year, I didn't do well in any of the tournaments. In fact, I was placed last in the last two tournaments. In reality, I was in a low state, I even thought to myself if I deserved to continue playing or not, whether it was time to retire," Humpy said shortly after emerging the champion.
The mother of a seven-year-old girl is India's best women's chess player. She became the youngest female Grandmaster of the country at just 15 and was at the peak of her powers in her teenage years.
Humpy said she struggled to adjust to playing conditions in New York and could not get proper sleep in between rounds. "With the time difference between India and the US, I knew I was going to suffer a lot. But then I decided to give it a try, and I am happy that I made the right decision.
"This victory is special because it made me fight when I was at my lowest point. Success is not about winning a tournament or a medal. You should also be successful in life. My husband and my parents support me a lot. My parents especially look after my daughter when I travel. It's not easy to become a World Champion when you are 37. It's quite difficult when you get older to keep that motivation and stay sharp when required. I'm glad that I made it," she said.