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.
“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.