by Koneru Humpy is an Indian chess player born on March 31, 1987, in Gudivada, Andhra Pradesh, India. Proud parents Koneru Ashok, Latha Ashok and sibling Chandra Hawsa Koneru. She is one of the strongest female chess players in the world and has achieved numerous accolades in her career including Arjuna Award (2003) and Padma Shri (2007) and BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year (2021)
She won several national and international chess championships, and her exceptional performance and dedication to the game led her to become a Grandmaster at the age of 15, making her one of the youngest female Grandmasters in history at that time beating Judit Polgár’s previous record by three months.
Koneru Humpy has a spectacular achievement for consistently being in top 5 women players across the world list of FIDE since April 2019. Earlier mentioned in FIDE’s Top 20 Girls list since July 2001.
Current Rating Status (reference FIDE.com) July’23
Std 2553
Rapid 2469
Blitz 2463
Koneru Humpy’s chess playing style is more towards tactical play side. Many times she has pitched herself as a formidable opponent in top-level competitions. She possess a keen ability to calculate complex variations specially during the middle game to change the board situation to her advantage and makes the games decisive.
K Humpy is indeed one of the strongest female chess players in history, a torch bearer in Indian Women Chess fraternity and has consistently been a top contender in various international tournaments. Some of her notable achievements include:
Youngest Woman Grandmaster: Koneru Humpy became the youngest woman in history to achieve the title of Grandmaster at the age of 15 years, 1 month, and 27 days in January 2002. This record-breaking achievement highlighted her immense talent and potential as a chess prodigy.
World Junior Chess Championship: In 2001, Humpy won the World Junior Chess Championship in Athens, Greece, showcasing her prowess among young chess players from around the world. She has achieved the titles Grandmaster (GM) 2002 and Woman Grandmaster (WGM) 2001 from FIDE.
Multiple Indian National Championships: Humpy has won multiple Indian National Chess Championships, demonstrating her dominance and consistency at the national level.
Women’s Grand Prix Series: Humpy has been a regular participant in the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix series, which is part of the qualification cycle for the Women’s World Chess Championship. Her strong performances in these events have placed her among the top contenders for the world title.
Olympiad and Asian Games: Humpy has represented India in numerous Chess Olympiads and Asian Games, contributing significantly to the team’s success. She has earned individual medals and played an instrumental role in India’s team achievements.
Candidates Tournament 2019: In the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2019, Humpy finished as the runner-up, securing a highly impressive performance and narrowly missing the opportunity to compete for the Women’s World Chess Championship title.
Koneru Humpy’s notable achievements recently in international championships:
2020: Gold at Cairns Cup[25]
2020: Silver at Speed Chess Championship
2020: Gold at FIDE Online Chess Olympiad 2020
2021: Bronze at FIDE Online Chess Olympiad 2021
2022: Bronze at 44th Chess Olympiad
2022: Gaprindashvili Cup Team Winner at 44th Chess Olympiad
2022: Silver at Women’s World Blitz Chess Championship 2022
2023: Silver at FIDE Women Grand Prix Munich , Germany
Chess Olympiad: Humpy has been a regular participant in the Chess Olympiad, which is one of the most prestigious team chess events in the world. She has represented India in multiple editions of the Olympiad, contributing significantly to the team’s success and earning individual accolades.
Women’s World Chess Championship: Humpy has participated in the Women’s World Chess Championship several times. Her strong performances in these competitions have placed her among the top contenders for the title of Women’s World Chess Champion.
FIDE Women’s Grand Prix: Humpy has been a regular participant in the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix series, which is part of the qualification cycle for the Women’s World Chess Championship. Her performances in these events have showcased her consistent strength as a top-level player.
Asian Team Chess Championship: Humpy has represented India in the Asian Team Chess Championship, contributing to India’s team achievements in this regional competition.
Women’s World Team Chess Championship: Humpy has been part of the Indian women’s team in the Women’s World Team Chess Championship, competing against other national teams from around the world.
Various Open Tournaments: In addition to team competitions, Humpy has participated in various open chess tournaments around the world, where she has competed against top male and female players.
Some of the famous chess grandmasters Koneru Humpy has faced in major tournaments and events are:
Koneru Humpy vs. Viswanathan Anand
Humpy had the opportunity to play against her fellow Indian and former World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand in various national and international events.
Koneru Humpy vs. Judit Polgar
Humpy faced the legendary Hungarian chess player Judit Polgar in several tournaments, including the North Urals Cup in 2007, where they played a memorable game as mentioned in a previous response.
Koneru Humpy vs. Hou Yifan
Humpy and Hou Yifan, the former Women’s World Chess Champion, have had several encounters in elite women’s tournaments and events like the Women’s World Chess Championship.
Koneru Humpy vs. Sergey Karjakin
Humpy has faced strong male grandmasters like Sergey Karjakin, the youngest-ever grandmaster in chess history, in prestigious events where women compete alongside men.
Koneru Humpy vs. Veselin Topalov
Humpy has played against Bulgarian grandmaster Veselin Topalov, who was the FIDE World Chess Champion from 2005 to 2006, in high-level competitions.
As many great chess players face, Humpy has also faced tough competition and a few losses at international chess tournaments.
K Humpy played against the legendary Hungarian chess player Judit Polgar in various tournaments. Polgar, one of the strongest female players in history, secured wins in some of these games.
Game: Koneru Humpy vs. Judit Polgar
Event: North Urals Cup
Date: August 20, 2007
Opening: Sicilian Defense, Scheveningen Variation (ECO B84)
In this game, Humpy faced the legendary Hungarian chess player Judit Polgar. It was a highly intense and tactical battle, with both players displaying their attacking prowess. Humpy sacrificed her rook with 25. Rxf6, initiating a deadly attack on the black king. The game culminated in a spectacular checkmating combination with 31. Rhxh7#.
Humpy Koneru vs Wenjun Ju
Women’s World Championship Knockout Tournament (2010), Antakya TUR, rd 4, Dec-13
King’s Indian Defense: Four Pawns Attack
Online Presence of Koneru Humpy
