Achievements of Koneru Humpy, World junior champion

Published : Sep 15, 2001 00:00 IST

P. K. AJITH KUMAR

AS she waited for the Air-India flight bound for Dubai to take off from the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on the evening of August 14, Koneru Humpy told herself that she should be happy if she was able to get a medal of any hue in Athens.

Of course she had already won three World titles, and many other important championships, but in a tournament as strong and prestigious as the World juniors, she knew even a third place mattered a lot. And that it would take a lot of effort to get there.

The only Indian to do well in the tournament has been FIDE World champion Viswanathan Anand, who won the boys' championship in 1987 in the Philippines. No one has come anywhere near the medal list since, in spite of there being some good Indian prospects in the fray in the last few years. Krishnan Sasikiran, Pendyala Harikrishna, S. Vijayalakshmi and Aarthie Ramaswamy, for instance.

On an unforgettable August 29 afternoon in Athens, Humpy became India's first ever World junior girls' chess champion. Playing on the third board, she had scored a comprehensive victory over Germany's Elisabeth Paehtz in the final round, in what was a do or die battle, and her rival for the crown, China's Zhao Xue had failed to win her desperate war against Nadezhda Kosintseva of Russia on the top board.

Humpy had finished level on points with the Chinese girl, but a better progressive score helped her win the greatest title in her astonishingly successful career, though it began only five years ago. She arrived in Chennai on September 1 and was received by her sponsor, Bank of Baroda, which ought to be congratulated on its commitment to help her out in realising her dreams, and her aunt Ajantha, who lives in Chennai.

The Sportstar caught up with the prodigy and her father and coach, Koneru Ashok, soon after they landed in India.

Excerpts from the first interview the new World junior champion gave on her return from Athens:

Question: How did you feel when you won the World junior championship?

Answer: I felt very happy. Yes, it was the happiest day in my life.

You have won this under-20 championship when you are just 14.

Yes, it made me feel great that I was able to come first in a field containing so many stronger and older players than me.

You entered the championship when you were in good form. You had done well in the two tournaments you played in Europe, completing your Woman Grandmaster title and winning the GM tournament in Hungary.

Yes, and I also felt very fresh, because I had a break of 20 days after I returned from Hungary. Looking back, it was very good that I was able to get three weeks of rest before a tournament like the World juniors.

In the past when you went to play in a World age-group championship, you always wanted to win it. How confident were you this time?

I was confident of course, because I have been playing well of late. But this time I wanted to finish among the top three. That was my aim when I left India for Athens. The World juniors is always a very strong tournament, you know.

When did you get the feeling that you might win this very strong tournament?

Never. The competition was very stiff right from the beginning till the finish. So I was never in a position to think of winning the title. All I did was just to focus on the game at hand.

Your title depended on the outcome of the top-board game between Zhao Xue and Nadezhda Kosintseva.

Yes. I was of course keeping track of what was happening on that board, and though it was drawn, it had gone into an end game.

Didn't you feel the title was yours when you went a piece up on the 48th move?

Yes, I was in a very strong position after that. And I felt I was assured of the championship.

What were your feelings before that crucial final round got under way, when you saw in the pairing list that you were to play Paehtz?

I was confident and prepared to take her on. I had played all the top players already, and I did not think Paehtz was particularly strong. So I knew I stood a very good chance to get the full point against her.

Which do you think was your best win in the tournament? Was it the one against Lilit Mkrtchian in the ninth round?

Yes, I thought I did well to beat her. She is a strong player, and was easily one of the best players in the championship. It was indeed a crucial victory.

Any other game you liked?

There was this win against the Georgian girl, Nana Dzganidge, in the third round. I was happy with that game too.

You went into joint lead in the last stages of the championship and were looking in good form, when you were beaten by Zhao Xue in the 11th round.

I felt very disappointed after that loss. I played poorly, and was thoughtless enough to try a novelty on the board! And of course I paid the penalty.

Otherwise, are you happy with the way you played in the tournament?

Yes. I think generally my game was good. I tried out some openings which I didn't try before. Like the Queen's Gambit from the black.

What do you think you should do now to improve your game further?

I have to work hard on the openings. I feel I should widen my repertoire. And of course there is room for improvement in my middle game too.

How are you going to celebrate your greatest triumph?

(Laughs) I don't know, right now all I am thinking of is going back home and taking rest, and to meet my mother and sister.

Do you know that besides Anand, Garry Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov, Boris Spassky, Vladimir Akopian and Alisa Galliamova have been World junior champions?

No, I did not know that, but it's nice to belong to such an elite group.

Are you planning to play in any tournament immediately?

Perhaps not. Anyway my father will have to plan my tournaments. As of now, we haven't decided to play any immediately.

How helpful has been the sponsorship from Bank of Baroda to your career?

I have benefited a lot from it, and I am happy with what they are doing for me.

The Andhra government has announced a reward of Rs. 25 lakhs for you too.

But we are still to get the money, 'na'?

Pendyala Harikrishna won the Commonwealth championship a couple of days before your victory in Greece and he is India's youngest GM too. You both belong to the same State. How do you feel?

It's nice to see him doing well. It's a big achievement, definitely.

In all previous interviews you had talked of meeting your targets within a specific period of time, and you turned out to be right on every occasion. So how many years do you think you will take to become a men's GM?

(Laughs) I can't say it now. Right now my aim is to improve my Elo rating; I want it to go a lot higher.

You won the Lipa International GM tournament at Budapest, the home town of your idol Judit Polgar, in June and you made your first GM norm too. How strong was that tournament?

Its average strength was about 2400 I think, and V. Zoltan was the top seed with a rating of 2503. I drew with him.

Though your career has only begun, you have already won many international and National titles. How would you rank your most important wins?

Well, the World junior has to be the best, because every top player in the world competes in it, and it is very prestigious. At No. 2 would be the Lipa International tournament, followed by the Asian junior championship, the Asian under-12 boys' championship and the National under-14 boys' championship.

Do you get the time to go to school these days?

After taking a few days of rest, I will be going to school again. I am studying in the IX Standard at Chalapathy Residential School, Guntur.

* World under-10 championship, 1997, Cannes, Gold.

* World under-12 championship, 1998, Oropesa del Mar (Spain), Gold.

* World under-12 championship, Oropesa del Mar, 1999, Silver.

* Commonwealth women's championship, 1999, Bikaner, Bronze.

* Commonwealth girls' (under-18) championship, 1999, Bikaner, Gold.

* Commonwealth women's championship, 2000, Sangli, Bronze.

* Commonwealth girls' (under-16) championship, 2000, Sangli, Gold.

* Asia's youngest International Woman Master, 1999.

* MSO women's tournament, 1999, London, Gold.

* MSO under-21 tournament, 1999, London, Gold.

* Asian boys (under-12) championship, 1999, Ahmedabad, Gold.

* British women's championship, 2000, Somerset, Gold.

* Asian junior championship, 2000, Mumbai, Gold, First Woman Grandmaster (WGM) norm.

* World under-14 championship, 2001, Oropesa del Mar, Gold.

* Oakham GM tournament, 2001, England, Third.

* First Saturday IM tournament, Budapest, 2001, Third WGM norm.

* India's youngest WGM, 2001.

* Hotel Lipa International GM tournament, Budapest, 2001, Gold; GM norm.

* World junior championship, 2001, Athens, Gold.

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