Koneru Humpy: Balancing Chess Mastery with Motherhood

Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy discusses the challenges of balancing her professional chess career and personal life, the importance of avoiding social media, and the current status of chess in India. She also highlights her selective tournament participation and insights into her daughter's interests.

Indian professional chess player Koneru Humpy has opened up about the complexities of balancing her professional and personal life, the evolution of chess in India, and her strategy of avoiding social media to maintain focus. The Indian Grandmaster has experienced both successes and challenges throughout her career, which have intensified since becoming a mother.

Addressing the difficulties of managing her professional career and motherhood, Koneru has been selective about tournament participation. 'It is a bit difficult to manage both. I was lucky enough to stay in the same town where my parents live. I was able to manage whenever I traveled outside, I leave my kid with them. I am clear about whether a tournament is important or has significant pros. I am not interested in playing for mere exposure,' she told ANI.

Throughout Koneru's career, her father Koneru Ashok, served as her coach, offering both advantages and unique challenges. 'As a player, having a father as a coach is beneficial because you aren't restricted by timing. Psychologically, he helped correct me. However, during training, our father-daughter relationship faded as he was very strict, which was tough to handle initially,' she added.

Koneru has passed on the basics of chess to her daughter, Ahana, although she believes it's unlikely that her seven-year-old will pursue it seriously. 'It depends on the child's interest. So far, I haven't seen much in her. She knows the basics but prefers art and spends hours drawing,' Koneru noted.

In an era where social media is a key tool for athletes to engage with fans, Koneru consciously avoids it to remain focused. 'I never took social media seriously and dislike sharing personal details publicly. For me, managing time for chess is hard enough, and I don't want distractions,' she remarked.

Over the past few years, chess has gained more visibility with players like D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa making waves in tournaments. However, Koneru feels it remains underrated compared to other sports, particularly cricket. 'Social media has helped recent results gain acknowledgment, but overall, chess publicity and endorsements lag behind sports like badminton and cricket,' she said.

Koneru will compete for the Mumba Masters in the Global Chess League's second season in October, an event expected to be fiercely competitive. 'It will be a strong tournament. Every team has its strengths. I just want to deliver my best. They have created a strong fan base, which motivates players to show their strength, making it very exciting,' she concluded. The league will feature a unique joint-team format with six players, including two top women and one prodigy per team, and matches will be decided in a best-of-six board scoring system.

(With inputs from agencies.)