India, March 22 -- Koneru Humpy has officially withdrawn from the Women's Candidates, informing the world chess governing body, Fide, of her decision on Sunday. The world No.8 revealed her safety concerns over playing in Cyprus first to HT a week ago, in light of the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran.

Her withdrawal now leaves two Indian women - Vaishali R and Divya Deshmukh - in the fray. With Humpy's withdrawal, Ukrainian Grandmaster Anna Muzychuk, the next highest-ranked player in the 'Fide Women's Events 2024-25', is eligible to take her place. It is understood that Fide has already sent her an invite but she is yet to confirm her participation. The tournament is scheduled from March 28 to April 16.

"Over this past week, I had a lot of ...