”The Global Chess League is quite an interesting one to have a league with mixed teams of men, women and junior players. Apart from that, having a corporate like Tech Mahindra will have a bigger impact on the chess world. This is one of the bigger reasons for us to take part in this event. This league will be an inspiration for organisers all over the world,” former World Rapid Chess champion Koneru Humpy said on Monday.
For the record, the League, a joint venture of Tech Mahindra and the FIDE, will witness six teams competing in a minimum of 10 matches each in a double round-robin format competing in the rapid chess format from June 21 to July 2 in Dubai.
“This is the first time an Indian corporate group is coming forward to organise a Chess league. Chess is changing now, and the organisers are trying to make it more spectacular to attract more audiences. We also enjoy shorter time formats in a fun way, which will be more entertaining for the audience,” she said.
The 36-year-old Humpy, a two-time Asian Games gold medallist, who earned the GM title at the age of 15, said when she started at the age of six, she could testify as a player that chess was constantly evolving in India. “We have many Grandmasters now from the country, and we were the fastest-growing country in chess at the time,” she said.
“Chess requires a lot of practice and physical fitness. You need stamina to be at your best to perform. It takes a lot of time. It also requires a lot of material to read that we have to go through. Training for chess is a never-ending story,” the former World No.2 said.
“I have a lot of things to do at home. I have a five-year-old daughter (Ahana) who keeps me busy. I also love watching movies. I enjoy watching comedy films, and our regional movie Sitaram has been one of my recent favourites. I also like to go to restaurants with friends and family over the weekend. Usually, I don’t travel apart from tournaments because my schedule is quite hectic,” Humpy explained.
Humpy believes that with the current rise in women’s sports across the world, there is a lot of scope for female athletes to continue pursuing their sport even after attaining motherhood.
“There are a lot of mothers who are successful in their sporting careers now. I am proud to see that I have been able to manage both,” she said.
“The growth of women’s chess players in India is quite low as compared to men’s growth. There are a lot of youngsters in the men’s circuit, but there are quite a few in Women’s Chess. For the population and talent we have, the number is quite less, and we can improve upon that,” she concluded.
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