Humpy Koneru

Koneru Humpy is one of the greatest female players in the history of chess. The top seed in the 2026 Cairns Cup first made history when she became a Grandmaster shortly after turning 15, breaking Judit Polgar’s record for the youngest female to achieve the title. As of May 2026, only Hou Yifan (14 years and six months) has surpassed this accomplishment.

Humpy, who is a standard bearer for Indian chess along with Viswanathan Anand, was the second woman ever to cross the 2600 Elo mark, reaching this achievement in October 2007. She peaked at 2623 in 2009, which makes her the third highest female player ever, behind only Judit Polgar and Hou Yifan. 

A two-time World Women’s Rapid Champion, and winner of the 2020 Cairns Cup, Humpy was second in the 2025 Women’s World Cup, losing only to countrywoman Divya Deshmukh in the final. She is currently rated the number six woman in the world.