Koneru Humpy: From retirement plan to a second world rapid crown

WHEN SHE ARRIVED IN MOSCOW FOR THE 2019 WORLD RAPID AND BLITZ CHAMPIONSHIP, THERE WAS LITTLE TO SUGGEST THAT SHE COULD BE A TITLE CONTENDER.

- Susan Ninan

BENGALURU: Five years ago, Koneru Humpy had what she called an "unexpected" win. She had made a comeback to competitive tournaments a year earlier at the 2018 Batumi Olympiad, following a self-imposed break to navigate a tough pregnancy, its attendant prenatal complications, and the motherhood that followed.

When she arrived in Moscow for the 2019 World Rapid and Blitz Championship, there was little to suggest that she could be a title contender. "Humpy, why do you even want to play rapid which you're really no good at when you could stick to classical?" her old foe Ju Wenjun chuckled ahead of the tournament. Humpy battled through racy tiebreaks after a three-way tie for first-place to win her first women's world rapid title. Only the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to win the world rapid crown. On Saturday, in New York, the 37-year-old Indian Grandmaster did it a second time - this time without the need for tie-breaks. China's Ju and Russia's Kateryna Lagno finished runner-up and in third place respectively.

Humpy is now tied with Ju as the only players to have won the Women's World Rapid title twice. Last year, Humpy finished runner-up in the rapid.