Koneru Humpy Talks About Balancing Chess and Motherhood, and the Future of Chess in India
Indian chess Grand Master Koneru Humpy shared her experiences of managing her professional chess career and personal life, especially after becoming a mother. She mentioned the challenges of balancing both roles and how living near her parents has been a great help.
Humpy’s father, Koneru Ashok, was her coach, which had its advantages and challenges. She explained that while it was beneficial to have a coach available at all times, it also meant their father-daughter relationship was often strained during training sessions.
Humpy has taught the basics of chess to her daughter, Ahana, but she doesn’t see her pursuing the game seriously. Ahana prefers art and spends her time drawing.
Unlike many athletes, Humpy avoids social media to stay focused on her game. She believes that chess is still underrated in India compared to sports like cricket and badminton, despite recent successes by players like D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa.
Humpy will be competing for the Mumba Masters in the upcoming Global Chess League in October. The tournament will feature a unique joint-team format with six players per team, including two top women chess players and a prodigy. Each team will play 10 matches in a double round-robin format.
Doubts Revealed
Koneru Humpy -: Koneru Humpy is a famous Indian chess player who has won many championships and is known as a Grand Master, which is a very high title in chess.
Grand Master -: A Grand Master is the highest title a chess player can achieve. It means they are one of the best chess players in the world.
Motherhood -: Motherhood means being a mother. It involves taking care of and raising a child.
Coach -: A coach is someone who trains and teaches you how to get better at a sport or activity. In this case, Humpy’s coach is her father.
Social media -: Social media are websites and apps where people can share pictures, videos, and messages with others. Examples include Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Underrated -: Underrated means not getting as much attention or recognition as it deserves. Humpy thinks chess is not as popular in India as it should be.
Mumba Masters -: Mumba Masters is a team that competes in chess tournaments. Humpy will play for this team in the Global Chess League.
Global Chess League -: The Global Chess League is a big chess competition where teams from different places compete against each other. It has a special format where players from different teams work together.
Joint-team format -: A joint-team format means that players from different teams come together to form a new team for the competition.
