Humpy sets out in quest of final men's GM norm

In her quest to become the youngest girl to win the men's Grandmaster title, women's World junior champion Koneru Humpy will take part in two Grandmasters tournaments in Hungary and Budapest in the next few weeks.

"I am extremely happy that I have crossed the 2500 rating mark. My immediate goal is to win the final men's GM norm and the title," the 14-year old girl from Vijaywada in Andhra Pradesh said.

The India No. 3, after Vishwanathan Anand and Krishnan Sasikiran, Humpy has an Elo rating of 2539.

The teenage prodigy, who is rated fourth among women in the world after Judith Polgar of Hungary (2677), Zsuza Polgar of Hungary (rating withheld by FIDE) and Xiejun of China (2562), said she wants to better the record of Judith Polar, who had won the GM title when she was 15 years and five months.

The Bank of Baroda-sponsored girl, who got the first men's GM norm in the Hotel Lipa Grandmaster tournament in Hungary in June 2001 and the second norm in the Third Saturday GM tournament in October, would take part in the Eger Grandmasters tournament in Hungary, from February 20 to 28, and the first Saturday GM tournament in Budapest, from March 2 to 16, her coach and father Koneru Ashok, who would be accompanying her to Europe, said.

She is likely to meet Grandmasters Grosspeter Atila of Hungary (2485), Varga Zoltan of Hungary (2510), Horvath Cscaba of Hungary (2480), FIDE Masters Rajich Vasik of the US (2384), Jakebsen Ole of Denmark (2420) and Kasparov Sergey of Russia (2475) and IM Kiss Pal of Hungary (2395).

Humpy, who practices by downloading games of Grandmasters from the Internet with the help a Pentium iii computer, presented by Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, for five to six hours a day, said she would play in Open GM tournaments in the country only after achieving her goal of winning the men GM title.

"There are more chances of meeting Grandmasters abroad unlike here," she added.

On the strategy for the coming GM tournaments, Ashok, himself a National 'B' player, said: "We are concentrating on improving the middle game. We are also preparing new lines in English opening and King's Indian attack while playing with white pieces, and in the Queens Indian defence, Nimzo Indian defence and Carokann defence while playing with black pieces."

Ashok recalled that while playing with white pieces she fared badly in the middle game against Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay in a recent tournament held at Kozhikode.

2001 was a very eventful year for Humpy as she won the women's GM title in the First Satrday International Masters tournament, to join S Vijayalakshmi of Chennai, and the World junior women's title at Athens, Greece.