Will Koneru Humpy be fined by FIDE for withdrawing from Women’s Candidates 2026?

India’s Koneru Humpy announced on Sunday that she has withdrawn from the upcoming FIDE Women’s Candidates tournament citing concerns over her personal safety and well-being, due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

“After deep reflection, I have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament. No event, no matter how important, can come before personal safety and well-being,” wrote Humpy on X.

Will Humpy be fined for withdrawing from FIDE Women’s Candidates?

Humpy could face a major fine for her withdrawal from the FIDE Women’s Candidates.

According to the FIDE handbook for the Women’s Candidates, any player who fails to provide a satisfactory reason for withdrawal after signing the player’s contract may be fined up to 10,000 Euros. However, an official confirmation on whether the regulation will apply in this case is still awaited.

Earlier on Sunday, Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura posted on social media platform X about power outages in Cyprus, where he has been holding a pre-tournament training camp.

“It’s not a good sign when power goes out completely in parts of Cyprus and doesn’t come back for an extended period of time,” Nakamura said.

Published on Mar 22, 2026