Humpy breaks the GM record

Koneru Humpy has setup a new world record of becoming the youngest-ever women to achieve the men's GM title. Humpy has done it at the age of 15 years, 1 month and 27 days, beating Judith Polgar's record of 15 years, 4 months and 28 days. With that she enters the Chess Prodigies hall of fame.

Note that this girl's first name is Humpy, her surname is Koneru. In her home state of Andhra Pradesh, and in many parts of South India the surname is written first (in Austria too, by the way). Her father Koneru Ashok, a chess player himself, derived the name from the word "Champion", with a vision that one day she would become the World Chess Champion. Subsequently, he has changed it to Humpy, to sound it as a Russian name. Her family includes Sister Chandhrahasa, Grand Parents K Purnachandra Rao and K Annapurna.

Humpy (right) with her mother Latha

Here are the updated statistics for GM titles so far:

Humpy is also the first Indian woman to achieve the men's GM title. To get the men's GM title a player has to have an Elo rating of 2500+. The present Elo rating of Humpy is 2486. With the recent performances her rating is expected to go upto 2500+. The next rating list will be released on July 2002.

Humpy made her first GM norm (at the age of 14 years and 84 days) during the summer of 2001 in Hungary at the Hotel Lipa International Category VII tournament in Szentgotthárd. In the 3rd Saturday GM Tournament (Oct 2001) held at Belgrade (Yugoslavia) Humpy grabbed both the title and the second GM norm (at the age of 14 years and 213 days). She made her third GM norm at the Elekes Memorial Grandmaster chess tournament (May 2002) held at Budapest

Eight women have achieved the male GM title so far:

Links

• The Koneru Humpy web site
• Humpy in our India Chess Diary May 26
• Humpy in our India Chess Diary June 1st
• Child prodigies in chess