 "Koneru Humpy faces a tough match against Lei Tingjie in FIDE Women's World Cup semi-finals. Image: FIDE")
Indian chess legend and Grandmaster Koneru Humpy kept it short and classy as she spoke about creating new history for her nation at Batumi, Georgia. On Sunday, Humpy became the first ever women’s chess player from India to reach the semi-finals of a FIDE World Cup as she defeated International Master Yuxin Song from China 1.5-0.5.
The 38-year-old Humpy came into the second Classical game of the quarter-finals on Sunday with a 1-0 lead, having won the opening contest. To stay alive in the contest, Song, who was playing with the White pieces, opted for a Jobava London system. However, Humpy did well to tackle the opening moves.
On move 14, Humpy took nearly half an hour to evaluate a bold and completely voluntary double pawn sacrifice, seeking substantial positional compensation. Her plan would leave her opponent saddled with two clusters of weak pawns, including a rare formation of tripled, isolated pawns.
Humpy reflects on history-making feat
Song tried to improve her structure while holding on to the extra material, but the position was too complex—the risk outweighed the reward. Eventually, material parity was restored, and the players agreed to a draw.
“It feels happy to qualify without playing tie-breaks,” Humpy said after the match. “I felt I could have played much better today, I was in a much better position, but slipped out in the time trouble.”
The Padma Shri awardee will be facing GM Lei Tingjie in the semi-finals after the Chinese defeated Georgia’s Nana Dzagnidze 2-0.
“I will rest for some time and I will also prepare, as it will be very difficult. She is one of the strongest opponents and the top seed,” Humpy said while reflecting on her next match.
“Each round has a lot of process, you are not sure until you win it.”
Talking about how she unwinds during a high-pressure tournament like the World Cup, the two-time Women’s World Rapid Chess champion Humpy said: “Usually I go for long walks, especially here at beach side. The weather is also fine, it’s more like India.”