SPORTSTAR WEEKLY
ASIAN GAMES / CHESS
Steely resolve
Despite losing in the sixth-round, Koneru Humpy’s victory was never in doubt. She recovered quickly from that reverse to give India its first medal in Doha. An appreciation by P.K. Ajith Kumar.
It wasn’t surprising that Koneru Humpy won the women’s rapid chess gold medal at the Asian Games in Doha. She was the top seed, and the World No. 2 to boot. And she knows how to win in important events.
As a player who had won the World junior (under-20) title at the age of 14, one who became the world’s youngest woman player to earn the Grandmaster title, and who was the first girl to win an Asian title competing with the boys, Humpy, 19, saw the Asian Games as another opportunity to create history, especially since chess was making its debut in the huge continental sporting event.
Talking to Sportstar before leaving for Doha, Humpy sounded very excited at the thought of her sport entering the mainstream. “More people than ever before will follow chess now,” she said. Her father and coach, Koneru Ashok, would vouch for that.
The telephone at their home in Vijayawada didn’t stop ringing for two days since the morning of December 4 after Humpy won the gold medal in Doha. “There wasn’t this kind of reaction even when she won the World Junior Championship in 2001,” said Ashok.
He was very confident that his daughter would win a medal. “I knew that she could very well win the gold. My only anxious moment was when she lost to China’s Zhao Xue in the sixth round,” he said.
In fact, Humpy had singled out the Chinese girl as her main threat while analysing her chances before the Games began. She began her campaign on the right note, winning the first five of her games. She then recovered quickly from the sixth-round defeat to Zhao Xue to give India its first ever medal at the Doha Asian Games.
…… Following her success in Doha, Humpy made it to the front pages of the newspapers. For once, the girl with one of the most determined minds in Indian sport is getting her due.
The full article can be read here. 
Good for Humpy! Much better player than Kournikova wannabe Kosteniuk!
Looks like a team medal for Iran, beating Qatar 3-0 in final round (inlcuding the new Qatari Zhu Chen).
How does this relate to GM Kosteniuk, who was not in the same event.
H. Koneru – rating 2545
A. Kosteniuk – rating 2534
Hardly ‘much better’ and both respectable for a GM.
Who cares about Kosteniuk? Go Humpy! Go India! Humpy is good for chess. Kosteniuk is good for herself and her husband Diego.
Humpy is not just good for chess!
She doesn’t seem to care much of a make-up,but an experience eye can notice she is hotty.
Yummy!I wouldn’t hesitate for a second if she says yes.
“Much better player than Kournikova wannabe Kosteniuk”
Is there that much of a difference in their ratings, then?
“She doesn’t seem to care much of a make-up (sic)”
So? Does that matter? Do women GMs need to wear sackcloth and be dowdy to be taken seriously?
If ppl like Humpy, good. No need to dis another player for it. Kostenuik seems to promote chess too, podcasts, tourneys, etc
Odd that ppl have their favourites, yet have to dismiss other players as if it’s necessary. Chess can be a broad church ..if not it’d be even more boring…
Hope they can all get sponsors…though which sponsor is going to want a piece of this bickering community of o-so-clever ppl (chess commisssioner or no) is anyone’s guess…
🙂