NEW DELHI: Even as Conroe Hampi’s possible withdrawal from the candidates’ tournament in Cyprus over the Iran war raised concerns, India’s next generation trio of Divya Deshmukh, R Vaishali and R Praganandha are set to compete in the prestigious tournament later this month.Fears of a wider evacuation have been allayed, as TimesofIndia.com can confirm that all three are moving ahead with their preparations despite geopolitical tensions in the region.
Go beyond limits with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!20-year-old Divya qualified for the Women’s Candidates by winning the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup in Batumi, defeating Konero Hampi in a thrilling tie-break to become the first Indian woman to win the title. This victory also earned her the title of GM as she became India’s fourth female Grandmaster. Will Divya leave Deshmukh, Vaishali, and Praganandha too?Despite 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 later. But for now, she will play.”Deshmukh’s camp is also understood to be busy planning his travel and stay. Similarly, R Vaishali and R Praganandha are moving ahead with their plans to field candidates.“Have they said publicly that they are not playing? Just because Koneru Hampi is possibly not playing, it does not mean Prag and Vaishali are not playing. It means only Koneru Hampi is not playing,” RB Ramesh, the long-time mentor of both Vaishali and Praganandha, told the website.“It is not my position to judge anyone’s decision. Everyone is free to make their own decision, and that should be respected. If Hampi’s position is not to be played, that is fine.”Koniro Hampi is not sure of participation.On Monday, Indian Grandmaster (GM) Hampi had revealed that she might skip the Candidates Tournament starting on March 28. In an interview with Hindustan Times, he said, “It doesn’t make sense. It’s dangerous to travel anywhere near West Asia right now when there’s so much tension and uncertainty. The war started about a fortnight ago, it’s still going on, and the tournament is less than two weeks away.”A drone attack on a British airbase in Cyprus on March 1 also raised security concerns. With European warships and Turkish fighter jets protecting the island, questions have been raised about whether Cyprus is the right place to host such an important chess event.“Our plans have not changed. We are in the final stages of preparations for the Candidates Tournament. Of course, we are monitoring the situation. Cyprus is not far from, let’s say, a war zone or a conflict zone, but at the same time, it is not involved in any way and is not at war,” said Emil Sotoski, India FIDEOFIDEOF.“There is no emergency or anything like that, of course there was some alarming news 10 days ago, but since then the situation seems to be quite calm.”Pathway to Candidate 2026 for Praganananda-Vishali While Praganandha qualified for the open candidate section after winning the 2025 FIDE circuit, her elder sister Vaishali earned her spot by winning the FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss last year.After a disastrous run at the Chennai Grandmasters Challengers, where she suffered seven consecutive losses and managed only two draws, Vaishali almost crashed out of the Grand Swiss.“It might sound funny, but after Chennai, I didn’t decide to play the Grand Swiss,” the 24-year-old later told ChessBase in an interview. “I felt bad. Losing seven games in a row was tough.”Encouraged by coach RB Ramesh, Patron Karthikeyan Muraliand along with her brother Praganandha, she eventually competed in Samarkand, where she defended her women’s Grand Swiss title to qualify.Reigning world champion D Gokesh recently admitted that he would like to have an all-Indian contest at the world championships later this year. “Personally, I would like to face Prague. It will be an Indian encounter, and it will be great for the Indian fans,” Gokesh recently told Chase Base India.Being the only gateway to a contender world championship, skipping the event is a risk these young stars are not willing to take.
