New Delhi: Ukraine’s Anna Mozychak has replaced Konero Hampi at the Candidates Tournament in Cyprus after the Indian grandmaster pulled out, citing security concerns due to the host country’s proximity to ongoing conflicts in West Asia. The tournament, which will determine the challengers for the world championship titles currently held by De Gokesh (Open) and Jo Wengen (Women), is set to start in Paphos on Saturday.Hampi, a two-time women’s world rapid champion, withdrew from the event citing personal safety concerns despite assurances from the organizers.
Earlier this month, a British air base in Cyprus was targeted in a drone attack, raising security concerns in the region.In a statement, FIDE confirmed that Muzychuk had been invited as Hampi’s replacement.“In accordance with the tournament regulations, her (Humpys) place in the Women’s Events Series 2024-25 was offered to the next highest finisher who has not yet qualified. As a result, Anna Mozychak (Ukraine) will join the tournament,” FIDE said.Muzychuk is a former Women’s World Rapid Champion (2016) and two-time Women’s World Blitz Champion (2014, 2016). She is also a former World Championship finalist and is one of the few women to have crossed the 2600 rating mark.Earlier, explaining his decision, Hampi said personal safety was his top priority.“After deep thought, I have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament,” Hampi said in a statement on ‘X’.“No event, no matter how important, can come before personal safety and well-being. Despite the assurances provided, I do not feel completely safe in the current situation. It is a painful but necessary decision, and I stand by it,” he added.Hampi faces a €10,000 fine for his decision, although FIDE has yet to make a decision on the matter.Nakamura also expressed concern.Despite FIDE’s assurances that the 38-year-old Indian is not alone in voicing safety concerns that there is nothing “remotely dangerous” to warrant a change of venue.US Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura, who is understood to have been in the island nation for the past two months in connection with the tournament, also flagged problems, pointing to recent power outages in parts of Cyprus.“It’s not a good sign when power goes out completely in parts of Cyprus and doesn’t come back on for a long time,” the world No. 2 wrote on Sunday.What began with US and Israeli bombing of Iran has turned into a full-blown regional war, with Iran targeting the Gulf countries, which are seen as US allies. As a result, airspace over the region has been largely closed.Hampi’s withdrawal is a blow for India, as they were among the top contenders in the tournament.The brother-sister duo of R Praganananda (open section) and R Vaishali (women’s tournament) and World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh are the other Indians who have qualified for the prestigious event.Cyprus, the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, lies south of Turkey and is a member of the European Union. PTITranslate Article Publish Article Publish Article Beta(with inputs from PTI)
