4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Mar 28, 2026 08:43 PM IST The flight from India to Cyprus was meant to carry three. Instead, it carried two. When Koneru Humpy made the difficult choice to withdraw from the Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026, prioritising safety, the equation suddenly changed for Divya Deshmukh and R Vaishali, who boarded the flight to Cyprus regardless. With a war raging in the Middle East, not too far from the Mediterranean Island, Humpy faced a choice that no athlete should have to make. For Humpy, who had found a second wind in her career and was pushing for the ultimate glory through another appearance in the Candidates, the decision came at a significant price. She has been replaced by Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk as FIDE is determined to continue with the tournament at the same venue in the same country. While the Cyprus Chess Federation has defended the security of the country, pointing to its stability even amid regional tensions but the new reality is that Humpy’s absence shifts the weight of Indian hopes …