Muzychuk replaces Humpy as candidate due to safety concerns

New Delhi: Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk has replaced Koneru Humpy in the upcoming Candidates Championship in Cyprus after the Indian grandmaster withdrew citing security concerns due to the host country’s proximity to the ongoing West Asian conflict. The event, which is due to start in Paphos on Saturday, will decide the challenger for the world title currently held by D Gukesh (Open) and Ju Wenjun (Women).Despite assurances from organizers, Hampi, the two-time women’s world speedboat champion, withdrew from the race, citing concerns for her safety.

A drone attack on a British air base in Cyprus earlier this month heightened security concerns in the region.FIDE confirmed in a statement that Muzychuk had been invited to replace Hampi.FIDE said: “In accordance with the tournament regulations, her (Hampi) qualification will be awarded to the second-ranked player in the 2024-25 women’s event series who has not yet qualified. Therefore, Anna Muzchuk (Ukraine) will participate in the competition.”Muzychuk is a former Women’s World Rapid Chess Champion (2016) and a two-time Women’s World Blitz Champion (2014, 2016). She is also a former World Championship finalist and one of the few women to score over 2,600 points.Earlier, explaining her decision, Hampy said personal safety remains her top priority.“After deep reflection, I have made the difficult decision to withdraw from the FIDE Women’s Candidates Championship,” Hampi said in a statement to The X.“No incident, no matter how important, should take precedence over personal safety and well-being. Despite the reassurances offered, I don’t feel completely safe in the current situation. This was a painful but necessary decision and one I stand by,” she added.Hampi could be fined €10,000 for her decision, although FIDE has yet to respond on the matter.Nakamura also expressed concernThe 38-year-old Indian is not the only one to express safety concerns, despite FIDE’s assurances that there is no “remote danger” that would require a change of venue.American master Hikaru Nakamura, who is understood to have been in the island nation two months before the tournament, also flagged some of the issues, pointing to recent power outages in parts of Cyprus.“It’s not a good sign when parts of Cyprus are completely without power and won’t be restored for a long time,” the world number two wrote on Sunday.The U.S. and Israeli bombing campaign against Iran began to escalate into a full-scale regional war, with Iran attacking Gulf states considered U.S. allies. As a result, the airspace over the region was essentially closed.Hampi’s exit is a setback for India as she was one of the leading contenders in the tournament.The brother-sister duo of R Praggnanandhaa (Open Category) and R Vaishali (Women’s Championship) and World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh are the other two Indians to have qualified for the prestigious event.Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, located south of Türkiye and a member of the European Union. PTITranslate article Publish article Publish article beta(Inputs from PTI)