NEW DELHI: Even as Koneru Humpy’s potential withdrawal from the Candidates tournament in Cyprus over the Iran war raised concerns, India’s next-gen trio of Divya Deshmukh, R Vaishali and R Praggnanandhaa are set to compete in the prestigious tournament later this month.
Concerns of a wider pullout have been put to rest, as TimesofIndia.com can confirm that all three are proceeding with their preparations despite the geopolitical tensions in the region.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Divya, 20, qualified for Women's Candidates by clinching the FIDE Women's World Cup in 2025 in Batumi, defeating Koneru Humpy in a thrilling tiebreak to become the first Indian woman to win the title. The victory also earned her the GM title as she became the fourth female Grandmaster from India.
Will Divya Deshmukh, Vaishali, and Praggnanandhaa also skip?Despite the whispers of withdrawal, a source close to Deshmukh told TimesofIndia.com: "As of now, we have decided that Divya will go and play. As these things develop, we will monitor the situation and decide afterwards. But at this moment, she will play."
It is also understood that Deshmukh’s camp is busy planning her travel and stay. Similarly, R Vaishali and R Praggnanandhaa are proceeding with their plans to participate in the Candidates.
"Have they told publicly that they are not playing? Since Koneru Humpy is potentially not playing, it doesn't mean that Pragg and Vaishali are not playing. It means only Koneru Humpy is not playing," RB Ramesh, long-time mentor to both Vaishali and Praggnanandhaa, told this website.
"My position is not to judge anyone's decision. Everyone is free to make their own decision, and that should be respected. If Humpy's position is not to play, it is fine."
Koneru Humpy unsure of ParticipationOn Monday, Indian Grandmaster (GM) Humpy had revealed she could potentially skip the Candidates tournament, starting March 28.
In an interview with the Hindustan Times, she had said, “It just does not make any sense. It is dangerous to travel anywhere near West Asia at this point when there is so much tension and uncertainty. The war started around a fortnight ago, it is still ongoing, and the tournament is less than two weeks away."
A drone strike on a British air base in Cyprus on March 1 also raised worries about security. With European warships and Turkish fighter jets guarding the island, questions have emerged about whether Cyprus is the right place to host such an important chess event.
“Our plans haven’t changed. We are in the final stages of preparing the Candidates’ Tournament. Of course, we are monitoring the situation. Cyprus isn’t too far from, let us say, the war zone or conflict zone, but at the same time, it’s not involved in any way and isn’t in a state of war," Emil Sutovsky, CEO of FIDE, told ChessBase India.
“There is no emergency or anything like that. Of course, about 10 days ago, there was some worrying news, but since then, the situation has appeared quite calm."
The road to Candidates 2026 for Praggnanandhaa-Vishali While Praggnanandhaa qualified for the open section of the Candidates after winning the 2025 FIDE Circuit, his elder sister Vaishali secured her spot by winning the FIDE Women's Grand Swiss last year.
After a disastrous run at the Chennai Grand Masters Challengers, where she suffered seven straight losses and managed just two draws, Vaishali nearly pulled out of Grand Swiss.
“It might sound funny, but after Chennai, I decided not to play Grand Swiss,” the 24-year-old told ChessBase later in an interview. “I felt so bad. Losing seven games in a row was hard to recover from.”
Encouraged by coach RB Ramesh,
mentor Karthikeyan Murali, and her brother Praggnanandhaa, she eventually competed in Samarkand, where she defended her Women’s Grand Swiss title to qualify.
Reigning world champion D Gukesh recently admitted he would like to have an all-Indian showdown at the World Championship later this year.
“Personally, I would like to face Pragg. It would be an Indian clash, and it would be great for the Indian fans,” Gukesh recently told ChessBase India.
With the Candidates being the only gateway to the World Championship, skipping the event is a risk these young stars appear unwilling to take.
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