Overview
- Koneru Humpy, who confirmed her withdrawal on Sunday, said she did not feel safe following a recent drone strike on the British RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus.
- FIDE said Anna Muzychuk of Ukraine will take Humpy’s place under rules that pass the spot to the next eligible finisher in the Women’s Events Series 2024–25.
- The tournament is set for March 28–April 16 in Paphos, and FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky said plans are unchanged after a German offer to relocate went nowhere.
- Humpy said other players share her safety concerns but worry about fines of up to €10,000 for pulling out, and FIDE has not announced any penalty for her.
- Cyprus chess officials criticized the withdrawal as unfounded, while GM Hikaru Nakamura flagged extended power outages on the island that added to player unease.