GM Koneru Humpy recorded her biggest win on her comeback trail, clinching the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix chess title in Skolkovo (Russia) with eight points from 11 rounds (five wins and six draws) on Sunday. More importantly, she was the only unbeaten player in the championship.
Re-setting goals
“This win gives me a lot of happiness and positive energy in what I believe is my ‘second innings’. And, also makes me re-set my goals, which now includes becoming world champion,” she said.
“This was the most difficult of the Grand Prix titles I have won as the preparations had to be intense and also different because of family commitments. This is my seventh Grand Prix title since the first in 2013,” the 32-year-old champion told The Hindu from Russia.
“All the top players — including the reigning World champion, former champions and the Challenger — were in the fray. It is a big win for sure and one which I badly needed at this stage,” she said.
“Definitely, winning the ninth round game against Valentina Gunina of Russia was the turning point in this event. It was a wild game and a double-edged one and I am glad I pulled it off,” she said.
Half point lead
“And, with World champion Ju Wenjun of China losing that round, I took a half-a-point lead and maintained it till the end,” Humpy said.
“The opponent played safe and I didn’t waste the advantage of playing white,” Humpy said about the final round where she needed just a draw to clinch the honours.
Humpy also revealed that she would pick up 17 Elo points and also move to World No. 3 from 4 in the rankings.
Double challenge
Humpy, meanwhile, reminds that she held the World No. 2 spot for the longest tenure (more than a decade) before her marriage in 2014 and the subsequent break saw her lose that spot.
“This tournament was a double challenge for me as I had to leave my two-year-old daughter Ahana for the first time and also travel alone in my career for the first time,” she said.
