Indian Grandmaster and Telugu chess icon Koneru Humpy has emerged victorious in the prestigious FIDE Women’s Grand Prix Chess Tournament held in Pune. In a thrilling finale, Humpy secured a win against Bulgaria’s Surguil Salimova to finish at the top of the leaderboard, tied with Chinese player Xu Jiner. However, Humpy clinched the title based on superior tie-break points.
This victory adds another significant achievement to Humpy’s illustrious chess career. Playing with remarkable poise, she delivered a decisive 1-0 win in her final round, while Xu Jiner also managed a win over Russia’s Polina Shuvalova. With both players finishing equal on points, the tie-break system swung the title in Humpy’s favor.
Other Indian players also participated in the tournament with strong performances. Grandmaster Dronavalli Harika drew her final round against Mongolia’s Munguntuul Batkhuyag. Youngster Vaishali Rameshbabu shared points with Georgia’s Salome Melia, while Divya Deshmukh ended in a draw with Russia’s Elena Kashlinskaya.
The tournament in Pune was closely followed by the Indian chess fraternity, and Humpy’s triumph has once again highlighted India’s growing prominence in global women’s chess.
