World rapid chess champion Koneru Humpy played a significant role India being a joint-winner. It won along with Russia in the online Chess Olympiad. The 33-year-old had to make the difficult choice of staying away from her two-year-old daughter Ahana. She was playing the games from her parents’ home in Vijayawada.
“Yes, since it would not have been easy to play with her at home, I preferred to be with my parents. It was comparatively easier,” Humpy told The Hindu.
Humpy stated that it was immensely satisfying for her to have given her best in the crucial Armageddon (tie-break) in the semi-final. She beat Monika Socko of Poland and helped India move to the final.
“Everything fell in place and luckily being the best woman player, I got the chance to play that big match and I am glad with my performance,” she stated.
“Well, it is a great feeling to be part of a champion team in the Olympiad, this being my third or fourth appearance,” she said.
The World No. 2 said India enjoyed a huge advantage because of the Olympiad’s mixed-team format. “We had the highly experienced [Viswanathan] Anand on the top board and then the young exciting talent who played their bit in clinching crucial wins,” Humpy said.