Humpy keeping her fingers crossed

By V.V. Subrahmanyam

HYDERABAD, SEPT. 22. World junior chess champion Koneru Humpy is still keeping her fingers crossed about her participation in the World Championship to be held in Moscow in November this year. It may be mentioned that she got the entry for the next year's edition already.

Speaking to The Hindu, Koneru Ashok, father-cum-coach, says there are serious efforts to get a special entry under the FIDE president's quota. ``We are still optimistic As we got the invitation only today for the Age Group championships to be held in Spain next month, we are looking for the special entry,'' he explained.

Koneru Humpy says that she is also ready to prove a point or two in the senior's section. ``I don't think it will be too early for me to take part in such a prestigious event. In fact I am preparing for it in a big way,'' she pointed out. Ashok said that she was doing intensive study on various new lines of attack apart from her favourite Queen's Gambit.

Meanwhile, Humpy had decided to take part in some of the European Grandmasters tournament to be held in Hungary and Yugoslavia over the next two months. She will take part in the First Saturday Grandmasters chess championship to be held in Hungary from October 6 to 19.

Mr. Ashok informed that it was in Hungary in the same tournament last June she got the third WGM norm to become the second Indian Woman Grandmaster. However, this time, the event will be held on a round-robin basis of 13 rounds.

Later, Humpy will play in another 13-round Grandmasters tournament in Belgrade from November 1. In this event, the 14- year-old Humpy will try to get another GM norm in men's section. It may be recalled that she got the first norm in the Hotel Lipa Grandmasters tournament in Hungary last June.

Mr. Ashok also said that though Humpy got a seeding in the Age Group championships (under-14, under-16, under-18) in Spain next month, she decided not to take part in the Grandmasters events.

The Bank of Baroda-sponsored girl from Vijayawada was recently conferred the IM title in men's section after she got the third norm in a Hungary tournament.

The chess prodigy will be back in India by second week of November to be in time to play in Moscow World Championship just in case she gets the entry at the last minute.

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