Never write off married women: Grandmaster Humpy Koneru

When India’s youngest woman Grandmaster, Humpy Koneru got married in 2014, many thought it was the beginning of the end. And two years later, when she embraced motherhood, Humpy was completely written off by the critics.

“Many even told me upfront that I better quit playing chess after I turned a mother as I was no longer a serious contender,” explains Humpy, recalling how people passed judgment on her after she took a four-year break from the game, starting 2014.

Daughters’ Day gift
But she could not have chosen a better occasion than Daughters’ Day to announce her arrival in her comeback stint when she won the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix Championship (her 7th overall). “I was so exhausted! But I spoke to my daughter over the phone and told her that I was waiting to return home and see her; perhaps my win is my Daughters’ Day gift,” says an excited Humpy, adding, “The night before the final match, I was constantly thinking about the efforts I had put in to come this far. That’s when I decided that I could not afford to lose this great opportunity.”

Adding that this win means a lot to her, the 32-year-old says, “My win has proved that married women can never be written off, and that personal life has nothing to do with the professional one.”  

Describing the initial phase of her comeback as emotionally draining, the Vijayawada born Humpy states, “I started playing again in 2018, and I had not been playing chess professionally for three years, so initially I struggled a lot. I lost four Championships, and was feeling quite discouraged. But then, I realised that I had to work a lot on myself.” The moment she changed her attitude, her game changed, says Humpy, who decided to “enjoy the game and play fearlessly.”

Solo travel
Another challenge the spirited youngster has had to encounter over the last few years has been to travel alone for Championships.

“From childhood, I would always travel with my father, and used to depend a lot on him. We used to have conversations about the game and strategies. After he stopped accompanying me, I found the going tough, but he wanted me to learn and deal with things independently,” reveals Humpy, who is quick to laud her husband’s support.

“He gave me the freedom to pursue my dreams. If not for his support, I wouldn’t have pulled this off,” she reiterates, adding that staying away from her two-year-old daughter has been tough.

Benefits of motherhood
Humpy credits motherhood for the success of her comeback. “It is natural that women take a break from their profession, but the desire and passion to succeed is the key to their success,” she states.

She also recalls that she used to play the game aggressively and take plenty of risks before turning a mother. “But raising a kid requires a lot of patience, and that trait has rubbed off on my game too,” she says with a smile, adding, “I have mellowed down and am more composed now, as a result of which I am able to give my best.”

While she rues the fact that she missed out on some of her daughter’s key milestones, Humpy takes it in her stride when she says, “That’s part of life, if you want to achieve something, you need to sacrifice certain things.”

Humpy, who has now jumped to No 3 position in World Chess rankings with her latest win, shares that time away from the game is spent with family, attending family get-togethers and catching up with friends.