My best achievement, says Humpy

By Our Sports Reporter

KOZHIKODE, SEPT. 1. Koneru Humpy came home on Saturday as the new World junior girls' chess champion. For a change, she wasn't exactly confident of winning the title before the tournament started, she said.

``I didn't expect to be the champion, and did not really think about winning the title till the end,'' she told The Hindu over telephone soon after her arrival in Chennai on Saturday. ``Since the competition was so strong right through I tried just to concentrate on my games rather than thinking of medals,'' she said.

It was a must-win game for her in the last round against Elisabeth Paehtz of Germany. She won it quite comfortably in the end. ``I was feeling confident before that game, because I had played much stronger players, and I thought I stood a good chance against Elisabeth,'' she said.

Which were her best games in the tournament? ``Of course the one against Lilit Mkrtchian of Armenia in the ninth round was the best,'' she said. ``I think I really did well to win that game. Lilit is a very good player and it was also a crucial win.'' Humpy said she also liked her game against Nana Dzganidze of Georgia in the third round. ``She is also a good player.''

She said on the final day she was keeping track of the game between Zhao Xue and Nadezhda Kosintseva of Russia on the top board, which would decide her placing. The Chinese would have been the champion had she won.

``Though that game was drawn it had gone into the end- game, but I knew the title was mine when I went a piece up on my board half-way through,'' she said.

Humpy, of course, rates the World juniors as her biggest achievement, ahead of her four other World titles - Hotel Lipa International GM tournament, Asian junior championship, Asian under-12 boys' title and British ladies title. ``Because it is a strong tournament, and every top junior player competes in it,'' she said.

Her father and coach Koneru Ashok, the man behind the girl's success, was with her in Athens throughout and said he was happy with the way she played. ``I was impressed with the improvement she showed in her game. She played good chess in a strong tournament,'' he said.

Ashok also said Humpy would no longer be competing in the age- group tournaments. ``She would be playing only in the women's and men's tournaments now. I want her to become the women's World champion within the next three years,'' he said.

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