K Humpy Reflects on Turbulent Year Ahead of Olympiad Title Defense

As the Indian women’s chess team prepares to defend their gold medal at the upcoming Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, all eyes are on the nation’s top-ranked player, K Humpy. With the tournament set to commence on September 16, Humpy has offered a candid assessment of her recent form and the internal challenges that have defined her year.

Board Order Uncertainties

Historically, the Indian team has utilized a rating-based procedure to determine board order, a system that has consistently placed Humpy at the helm on board one. However, as the team looks to repeat their past success, Humpy remains uncertain about whether this tradition will hold.

“I have played a few Olympiads and have always played on board one,” Humpy told the Times of India from Vijayawada. “For many years, we have been following the rating procedure for maintaining the board order. I don’t know how they are going to look at it this year.”

While she stopped short of confirming her board preference or discussing tactical directives from the team captain, her comments suggest she is mentally preparing for a high-pressure role in the squad.

A Challenging Run

The Grandmaster enters the Olympiad following a string of difficult international performances. After finishing eighth at the Cairns Cup in St. Louis, she endured a grueling campaign at Norway Chess in May and June, where she finished in sixth and final place.

“It’s not so comfortable to enter into the Olympiad in such a scenario,” Humpy admitted. “I’m just waiting to get back in good shape. I was a bit rusty, but it happens to every player. You’ll be in that bad phase and then you’ll come out of it.”

Humpy attributed her recent struggles to a lack of competitive rhythm and significant off-the-board stressors that hindered her focus. “I played the tournament after a very long gap. Nothing went according to my plans. This year was disturbing. I was also a bit upset with the off-the-board things and probably that also reflected in the way I played.”

Overcoming Adversity

The source of that personal turmoil was her high-profile withdrawal from the Candidates tournament in Cyprus. Humpy had requested a venue change for the world championship qualifier due to security concerns regarding the conflict in West Asia. When FIDE denied the request, Humpy opted out—a decision that took a heavy toll on her mental well-being.

“It’s not easy for a player who has been professional and working towards it and then taking all the negativity,” she explained. “It did affect me. I spent many sleepless nights as well.”

However, Humpy remains optimistic about her trajectory. Having spent the last month refocusing and stabilizing her training, she believes she has emerged from the shadow of that period. As India aims for gold in Samarkand, the team will be relying on Humpy’s resilience and seasoned expertise to anchor their campaign.