Koneru Humpy Wins 2nd World Rapid Chess Championship Title

India's chess achievements reached new heights on Sunday as Koneru Humpy secured her second World Rapid Chess Championship title, defeating Indonesia’s Irene Sukandar in a thrilling final. The victory marks a remarkable milestone in Humpy's career, as she joins China's Ju Wenjun as the only players to have won multiple world titles in this format. Humpy previously claimed the title in 2019 in Georgia.

"I'm very excited and happy. In fact, I expected it to be a very tough day, like some sort of tie-break. But when I finished the game, the arbitrator told me (about winning), and it was a tense moment for me," Humpy said after her victory. The Indian grandmaster, who started with the black pieces, earned 8.5 points from 11 rounds to secure the championship.

Humpy’s triumph adds to India’s outstanding year in chess, following D Gukesh's victory over China’s Ding Liren in the Classical World Chess Championship in Singapore. Humpy, aged 37, has consistently excelled in rapid formats, securing a bronze in the 2012 Moscow Rapid Chess Championship and a silver medal in 2023 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Reflecting on her unexpected victory, Humpy admitted, "This is quite unexpected because the whole year I have been struggling and I had very bad tournaments where I just ended up in last place. So this came as a surprise."

Humpy also acknowledged the role of family support in her continued success, saying, "I think it was possible because of the support from my family. My husband and my parents…they support me a lot. My parents look after my daughter when I travel." She further added, "It's not easy to become a World Champion at 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."
In the men’s category, 18-year-old Russian prodigy Volodar Murzin claimed the World Rapid Chess Championship title, becoming the second-youngest ever to win the prestigious tournament, following 17-year-old Nodirbek Abdusattorov’s victory in 2021.

Final standings (Women): 1. K Humpy 8.5; 2-7: Wenjun Ju (Chn), Kateryna Lagno (Fid), Zhongyi Tan (Chn), D Harika (Ind), Alexandra Kosteniuk (Sui), Afruja Khadamova (Uzb) 8 each.

Result of Indians: Divya Deshmukh (7); Padmini Rout (6.5); R Vaishali (5.5); Vantika Agarwal, Priyanka Nuttaki, Sahiti Varshini 5 each.

Final standings (Men): 1. Volodar Murzin (FID, 10); 2-3. Alexander Grishchuk, Ian Nepomniachtchi (Both Fid) 9.5 each.

Result of Indians: Arjun Erigaisi (9); R Praggnanandhaa (8.5); Aravindh Chithamabaram (8); V Pranav (7.5); Raunak Saadhwani (7); V Karthik (7); Sandipan Chanda (6.5) Harsha Bharthakoti (6.5); Diptayan Ghosh (6).

Also Read: World Chess Championship Winners List