New Delhi:
Not too far from the conflict-ridden Gulf region, there are concerns around Cyprus hosting the prestigious Candidates tournament this month but chess’ world governing body FIDE has rejected a possible change of venues, saying there is nothing even “remotely dangerous” to warrant such a move. The Candidates, which will decide the challenger to the world championship crowns currently held by India’s D Gukesh (men) and China’s Ju Wenjun (women), is due to start on March 28. India’s Koneru Humpy is reportedly considering withdrawing from the tournament due to security concerns.
Earlier this month, a British air base in Cyprus endured a drone attack, raising fears that the conflict which started with the American and Israel bombing of Iran will engulf the island as well. Cyprus, the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, is situated south of Turkey and is a member of the European Union.
“Our plans have not changed. We are in the final stages of preparing (for) the Candidates Tournament. Of course, we are monitoring the situation. Cyprus is not too far from, let’s say, the war zone or conflict zone, but at the same time, it is not directly involved in any way and is not in a state of war,” FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky told ‘Chessbase’.
“There is no emergency situation or anything like that. Of course, about 10 days ago there were some worrying news, but since then the situation has appeared quite calm.
“But we are, of course, not just hoping that nothing will happen. We are constantly monitoring the situation and also staying in contact with the state authorities who are assisting us with everything related to the tournament,” he added.
In the Open section, R Praggnanandhaa is the lone Indian in fray, while World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh, Humpy and R Vaishali have qualified for the women’s Candidates.
Sutovsky expressed faith in the Cyprus government, saying it is well aware of the tournament’s stature. The Candidates features eight men and eight women who have qualified through a lengthy process. The winners will earn a shot at the world titles later this year.
“As I mentioned earlier, this event is not just some chess tournament in Cyprus. The government fully understands the status of this event and its importance. The President of the country is scheduled to personally open the tournament on March 28,” Sutovsky said.
“We are considering various scenarios, even the most unlikely ones. But we firmly believe that the current situation provides no grounds or reasonable reasons to postpone the date or move the tournament from Cyprus.
“Could something happen? Possibly. But at the moment, we don’t see anything even remotely dangerous enough to consider moving it.” In case Humpy withdraws, another player will be called in to fill her spot and that situation may not be easy to handle for the other seven players.
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