Koneru Humpy Slams FIDE, May Quit Candidates Over War Fears: 'Doesn't Make Sense'

Last Updated:March 16, 2026, 11:42 IST

Koneru Humpy may exit the FIDE Candidates Tournament in Cyprus because of safety concerns amidst the US-Israel-Iran war.

World chess championship runner-up Koneru Humpy is considering an exit from the upcoming Candidates tournament due to safety concerns around travelling to Cyprus during the ongoing US-Israel-Iran war.

Although Cyprus was selected as the host for the FIDE Candidates Tournament in November last year, the situation has shifted after military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran.

On March 1, a British air base on the island was struck by a drone. With European warships and Turkish fighter jets now guarding the Mediterranean country, serious concerns have been raised about whether it should host the tournament that will determine the next challenger for the World Chess Championship.

“Our plans haven’t changed. We are in the final stages of preparing the Candidates’ Tournament. Of course, we are monitoring the situation. Cyprus isn’t too far from, let us say, the war zone or conflict zone, but at the same time, it’s not involved in any way and isn’t in a state of war," FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky said.

“There is no emergency or anything like that. Of course, about 10 days ago, there was some worrying news, but since then, the situation has appeared quite calm," Sutovsky added.

Meanwhile, Humpy, one of three Indian players in the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament alongside Divya Deshmukh and R Vaishali, may skip the event in Cyprus amidst rising tensions in West Asia.

“It just does not make any sense. It is dangerous to travel anywhere near West Asia at this point when there is so much tension and uncertainty. The war started around a fortnight ago, it is still ongoing and the tournament is less than two weeks away," Humpy said while speaking to The Hindustan Times.

“From an organisational point of view, it is just not the right call. It is one of the most crucial tournaments and you have just 16 top players (combining Open and Women) to think of, why not look at alternatives and different dates?" Humpy questioned.

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