Koneru Humpy withdraws from Candidates Tournament citing security concerns

Due to Koneru Humpy's late withdrawal from the upcoming Women's Candidates 2026, FIDE have announced Anna Muzychuk as her replacement. Humpy withdrew from the tournament on Sunday due to growing concerns about the ongoing Gulf conflict. The tournament will be held in Cyprus, and on March 1, a British air base in the country was hit.

The pairings will remain the same, with Muzychuk taking Humpy's place. A FIDE statement confirmed, "Humpy Koneru (India) has officially withdrawn from the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026, scheduled to take place in Cyprus from March 28 to April 16."

"In accordance with Article 2.2. of the Tournament Regulations, her place has been offered to the next highest finisher in the Women’s Events Series 2024–25 not securing qualification. As a result, Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine) will join the tournament as her replacement," the statement further added.