Koneru Humpy becomes second woman to win World Rapid Chess title twice, Koneru Humpy scored a decisive win over Irene Sukandar in the final round on Sunday to clinch the World Rapid Chess Championship title for the second time in her career.
Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy won a historic second title at the World Rapid Chess Championship, emerging victorious in the tournament in New York on Sunday, December 29. Humpy has become only the second chess player after Ju Wenjun of China to win the title in the women’s section more than once.
Koneru Humpy, 37, sealed the title when she defeated Irene Sukandar with the black pieces in the final round. It was a decisive win for the Indian Grandmaster, who needed nothing less than a win in the ultimate battle. The Indian No. 1 finished on top of the standings with 8.5 out of 11 points in an incredible display in the World Rapid Championship. This is her second title in the format after her victory in 2019 in Moscow.
R Vaishali ended 2024 in style, claiming a bronze medal at the World Blitz Championship after reaching the semi-finals at the year-end event at New York’s Wall Street.
Ju Wenjun clinched the women’s blitz crown by defeating Lei Tingjie in the final. Vaishali had lost to Wenjun in the semis and finished behind the two Chinese women.
Five-time world champion and International Chess Federation (FIDE) vice president Viswanathan Anand congratulated Vaishali for her efforts, saying it was a great way to end the year.
