Wikipedia

Koneru Humpy

In this Telugu name, the surname is Koneru.

Koneru Humpy (born 31 March 1987) is an Indian chess grandmaster. Humpy is a runner-up of the Women's World Chess Championship and the reigning two-time Women's World Rapid Chess Champion.[1][2] In 2002, she became the youngest female player—and the first Indian female player—to achieve the title of Grandmaster, aged 15 years, 1 month, 27 days, a record only since surpassed by Hou Yifan.[3][4] Humpy is a gold medalist at the Olympiad, Asian Games, and Asian Championship.[5]

Koneru Humpy
Humpy in 2012
CountryIndia
Born (1987-03-31) 31 March 1987 (age 38)
Gudivada, Andhra Pradesh, India
TitleGrandmaster (2002)
FIDE rating2535 (August 2025)
Peak rating2623 (July 2009)

In October 2007, she became the second female player, after Judit Polgár, to exceed the 2600 Elo rating mark, being rated 2606.[6][7]

Humpy won the Women's World Rapid Chess Championship in 2019 and 2024.

Early life

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Humpy in Wijk aan Zee, 2006

Koneru Humpy was born in a Telugu family on 31 March 1987 in Gudivada, Andhra Pradesh.[8] She was originally named "Hampi" by her parents, Koneru Ashok and Koneru Latha,[9] who derived the name from the word "champion". Her father later changed the spelling to Humpy, to more closely resemble a Russian-sounding name.[10][11] She was coached in chess at a young age by her father Ashok after he discovered her talent when she suggested a move as played out by a game from The Chess Informator.

It was 1993, and Humpy was six-years-old then. In the same year, she won the Vijayawada city and Krishna district under-eight championships. She won the State-level championships in 1994 and 1995 and qualified for the national under-eight championship for girls in Madurai in 1995, where she finished fourth. From that year, her father started coaching her exclusively. She would then go on to win the national under-10 championship for girls in 1996 in Mumbai, which led to a qualification for the 1997 World Under-10 Girls Chess Championship at Cannes, France, which she would go on to win.[8]

Personal life

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In August 2014, Humpy married Dasari Anvesh.[12] They have a daughter together named Ahana (b. 2017).[13] Since 2016, Humpy has been working with Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC).[14]

Career

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Humpy won three gold medals at the World Youth Chess Championship: in 1997 (under-10 girls' division), 1998 (under-12 girls) and 2000 (under-14 girls). In 1999, at the Asian Youth Chess Championship, held in Ahmedabad, she won the under-12 section, competing with the boys.[15] In 2001, Humpy won the World Junior Girls Championship. In the following year's edition, she tied for first place with Zhao Xue, but placed second on tiebreak.[16] She became the eighth woman to earn the Grandmaster title in 2002, and the first Indian female player[17] and the youngest female player to do so. She earned her first GM norm at the Hotel Lipa International in June 2001. Her second GM norm was at the 3rd Saturday GM tournament, which she won, in October 2001. She made her final GM norm in the Elekes Memorial, also tying for first place.[18] Humpy competed with the boys in the 2004 World Junior Championship, which was won by Pentala Harikrishna and tied for fifth place, finishing tenth on countback with a score of 8.5/13 points.[19]

Humpy won the British Women's Championship in 2000 and in 2002. In 2003, she won the 10th Asian Women's Individual Championship and the Indian Women's Championship.[20][21] In 2005, she won the North Urals Cup, a round-robin tournament held in Krasnoturyinsk, Russia featuring ten of the strongest female players in the world at the time.[22]

She participated in the Women's World Chess Championship for the first time in 2004 and since then, she has competed in every edition of the event held with the knockout format. Humpy reached the semifinals in 2004, 2008 and 2010.

In 2009, she tied for 1st–4th with Alexander Areshchenko, Magesh Panchanathan and Evgenij Miroshnichenko in the Mumbai Mayor Cup.[23]

In 2009, Humpy accused the All India Chess Federation of preventing her from participating in the 37th Chess Olympiad in Turin.[24][25] Her father Koneru Ashok, who was coaching her, was not allowed to travel with her for tournaments.

Humpy took part in the FIDE Women's Grand Prix 2009–2011 and finished in overall second position, in turn qualifying as challenger for Women's World Chess Championship 2011.[26][27] Hou Yifan won the match, winning three games and drawing five. She finished runner-up in the FIDE Women's Grand Prix series also in the 2011–12, 2013–14, 2015–16 and 2019–21 editions.

She won the individual bronze at the Women's World Team Chess Championship 2015 held in Chengdu, China. Team India finished fourth in the competition – a point behind China, which won the bronze medal.[28]

In December 2019, Humpy won the Women's World Rapid Chess Championship 2019 after coming back from a two-year maternity sabbatical.[29]

In 2020, she won the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the year award, following a public vote.[30]

She also competed at the 2022 Chess Olympiad as part of the women's India team, which achieved a bronze medal.[31]

In 2023, she was the runner up in the World Rapid championships.[32]

In December 2024, Humpy won the Women's World Rapid Chess Championship 2024 became the Women's World Rapid Chess Champion for the second time in her career.[33]

In July 2025, she defeated Lei Tingjie by 5-3 in the semifinals of the 2025 FIDE Women's World Cup to set up an All-Indian summit clash with 19 year old compatriot Divya Deshmukh. Her victory came after two draws in the classical format and a come from behind victory in the tiebreaks by winning three consecutive games after being down 2-3. In the final, she lost during tiebreaks, drawing the first game and losing the second, finishing in second place. Through winning her semifinal she automatically qualified to the Women's Candidates Tournament 2026.[34][35][36]

FIDE Women's Grand Prix Titles

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S.No Year Date Venue Points (Win/draw/loss) Result
1 2009 7–19 March 2009 Istanbul, Turkey 8.5/11 (+7=3-1)   Gold
2 2010 30 July – 11 August 2010 Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia 6.5/11   Bronze
3 2011 23 February – 5 March 2011 Doha, Qatar 8/11 (+6=4-1)   Gold
4 2012 10–21 June 2012 Kazan, Russia 7.5/11 (+4 =7 –0)   Gold
5 2012 16–28 September 2012 Ankara, Turkey 8.5/11 (+7 =3 –1)   Gold
6 2013 June 15 – 29 June 2013 Dilijan, Armenia 8/11 (+5=6–0)   Gold
7 2013 17 September – 1 October 2013 Tashkent, Uzbekistan 8/11 (+6=4–1)   Gold
8 2015 2–16 October 2015 Monte Carlo, Monaco 7/11   Bronze
9 2016 1–15 July 2016 Chengdu, China 7/11 (+5=4-2)   Silver
10 2019 10–23 September 2019 Skolkovo, Russia 8/11 (+5=6-0)   Gold
11 2019 2–15 December 2019 Monaco 7/11 (+4=6-1)   Gold - Shared 1st Place
12 2023 1–14 February 2023 Munich, Germany 7/11 (+3=8-0)   Silver

Achievements

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Awards

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President, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (left) presenting Padma Shri to Humpy (right), 2007

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "The inspiring return of Koneru Humpy". ChessBase India. 29 December 2019.
  2. ^ a b Levin (AnthonyLevin), Anthony (28 December 2024). "Murzin Wins Rapid World Championship, Humpy Earns 2nd Title In Women's". Chess.com. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  3. ^ "Did you know about these Popular Chess Grandmasters of India?". Archived from the original on 3 August 2024.
  4. ^ "Humpy emerges winner at Elekes". The Times of India. 29 May 2002. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  5. ^ "Humpy beats Judit Polgar by three months". Chess News. 31 May 2002. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  6. ^ "Anand crosses 2800 and leads the October 2007 FIDE ratings". Chess News. 2 October 2007. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  7. ^ Koneru's rating progress chart. FIDE.
  8. ^ a b Aaron, Manuel (10–23 January 1998). "The making of a champion". Frontline. Archived from the original on 11 February 2001. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  9. ^ "Harika wins, Setback for Humpy".
  10. ^ "Humpy beats Judit Polgar by three months". 31 May 2002.
  11. ^ "Humpy's moves". The Tribune. Chandigarh, India. 8 April 2006.
  12. ^ J. R. Shridharan. "Humpy enters wedlock with Anvesh". The Hindu. Retrieved 17 February 2015.
  13. ^ "Grandmaster Koneru Humpy learning the moves of a mother". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  14. ^ "Humpy joins ONGC". The Hindu. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  15. ^ "Humpy on high!". Rediff.com. 30 August 2001. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  16. ^ Goa 2002 – 20° Campeonato Mundial Juvenil Feminino BrasilBase
  17. ^ "Did you know about these Popular Chess Grandmasters of India?". Archived from the original on 3 August 2024.
  18. ^ "Humpy: Youngest Ever Woman to Achieve the Men's GM Title And First Indian Woman to Achieve Men's GM Title". Humpy Koneru. Archived from the original on 1 June 2002. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  19. ^ Cochin 2004 – 43° Campeonato Mundial Juvenil BrasilBase
  20. ^ 10th Asian Women's Individual Chess Championship FIDE
  21. ^ Crowther, Mark (17 November 2003). "TWIC 471: Indian Women's National A Championships". The Week in Chess. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  22. ^ "North Urals Cup: Humpy wins, Xu Yuhua second". ChessBase. 15 July 2005. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  23. ^ Zaveri, Praful (15 May 2009). "Areshchenko triumphs in Mayor's Cup – Jai Ho Mumbai!!". ChessBase. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  24. ^ "Koneru Humpy accuses AICF secretary of harassment". IBN Sports. 24 October 2009. Archived from the original on 25 October 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
  25. ^ "Humpy replies to Sundar – issues open challenge". ChessBase. 25 October 2009. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
  26. ^ "Women GP – Nalchik – Women GP – Nalchik". Nalchik2010.fide.com. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  27. ^ "Humpy pulls it off – wins Doha GM and qualifies | Chess News". Chessbase.com. 5 March 2011. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  28. ^ "World Women Chess: Harika wins silver, bronze for Humpy". The Hindu. PTI. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  29. ^ "The inspiring return of Koneru Humpy - ChessBase India". www.chessbase.in. 29 December 2019. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  30. ^ "Koneru Humpy is BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  31. ^ "44th Olympiad Chennai 2022 Women – Final Ranking after 11 Rounds". Chess-results.com.
  32. ^ Rao, Rakesh (28 December 2023). "World Rapid Chess Championship 2023: Humpy finishes runner-up; Vidit, Praggnanandhaa, and 10 others tie for fourth spot". Sportstar. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  33. ^ Sportstar, Team (28 December 2024). "Koneru Humpy wins World Rapid Championship 2024". Sportstar. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  34. ^ "Koneru Humpy, Divya Deshmukh set up all-Indian title clash in FIDE Women's Chess World Cup, create history". ANI News. 24 July 2025.
  35. ^ "India vs India in FIDE Women's World Cup final: Koneru Humpy beats China's Lei Tingjie to set up Divya Deshmukh battle". The Indian Express. 25 July 2025. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  36. ^ "Chess | Historic! 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh crowned FIDE Women's World Cup champion, becomes India's 88th GM". The Times of India. 28 July 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  37. ^ "Humpy pockets first world chess crown". The Times of India. 2019. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  38. ^ "2020 Cairns Cup March 2020 United States of America FIDE Chess Tournament report". ratings.fide.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  39. ^ "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
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Awards and achievements
Preceded by Women's Asian Chess Champion
2003 		Succeeded by
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