The Women’s World Rapid Championship 2025 in Doha will be remembered less for who won the title and more for how Koneru Humpy, the defending champion and tournament joint-leader, was denied a chance to fight for gold.
Finishing the event unbeaten on 8.5 points from 11 rounds, Humpy ended up with the bronze medal, a result that tells only part of the story of what was otherwise a deeply impressive campaign.
Going into the final round, the situation was delicately poised. Zhu Jiner, Aleksandra Goryachkina and Humpy Koneru were all tied at the top on 8/10 points, with the championship still firmly in play. When both Zhu and Goryachkina drew their Round 11 games, the equation became simple for Humpy: a win would give her sole first place and a successful title defence.
Facing her 18-year-old compatriot IM Savitha Shri B, Humpy achieved exactly what she would have wanted from the opening and middlegame. She reached a completely winning endgame, demonstrating the positional control and experience that has defined her long career at the top. But rapid chess is as much about clock management as board position. Under time pressure, Humpy misplayed the conversion, allowing Savitha to escape with a draw. That single slip proved decisive.
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The draw meant all three leaders finished on 8.5/11, undefeated throughout the tournament. However, due to FIDE’s tiebreak regulations, only the top two players on tiebreaks were eligible to contest the playoff for the title. To Humpy’s misfortune, she ranked third on tiebreaks, which immediately excluded her from championship contention. Instead, Goryachkina and Zhu Jiner advanced to the blitz playoff, where Goryachkina won the title by winning the first game and drawing the second.
For Humpy, the outcome was particularly cruel. In the Open section, all players tied for first are eligible for tiebreaks. In the Women’s section, however, the rules restrict the playoff to just two players — a difference that ultimately cost the Indian veteran a shot at defending her crown. FIDE’s regulation 4.2.4.2 explicitly states that only the top two players according to tiebreaks proceed, a clause that proved decisive in Doha.
Despite the disappointment, Humpy’s performance deserves proper context. At 38 years of age, she navigated an extremely strong field without losing a single game. Her 8.5-point score matched that of the eventual champion and runner-up, underlining how narrow the margins were. The final standings may list her as third, but on pure results, she stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the best in the tournament.
This bronze medal also adds to an extraordinary World Rapid legacy. Humpy has now won five medals at the event:
- Gold: 2019, 2024
- Silver: 2023
- Bronze: 2012, 2025
Few players in the history of women’s chess can match that level of sustained excellence across more than a decade. Even fewer have done it while remaining competitive across formats and generations.
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India’s overall showing in the women’s rapid event further highlighted the depth of the current generation. IM Savitha Shri B, whose draw against Humpy altered the course of the championship, finished an impressive fourth on 8 points. GM Vaishali Rameshbabu also scored 8 points to place fifth, while Divya Deshmukh finished eighth with 7.5 points. Yet, it was Humpy who once again led the charge, setting the benchmark for consistency and composure.
Emotionally, this bronze may feel heavier than some of her past medals. Humpy was not outplayed, not outscored, and not defeated over the board. She was undone by a combination of time trouble and tiebreak mathematics, factors that sit uncomfortably alongside an otherwise near-flawless tournament.
Still, the broader picture remains clear. Koneru Humpy continues to be India’s No.1 woman, a player capable of winning or almost winning world titles year after year. As the focus shifts to the World Blitz Championship, she will once again be among the contenders, carrying both the disappointment of Doha and the quiet confidence that comes from knowing her game is still at the very top level.
In chess, results often fail to capture the full truth. Doha 2025 was one such case. Humpy may have returned home with bronze, but her performance belonged firmly in gold-medal territory.
