‘No parent is comfortable’: K Humpy pinpoints hurdle holding girls back in chess

Bengaluru: K Humpy, India’s first-ever woman chess player to attain a Grandmaster title, has witnessed dramatic changes to the landscape of the cerebral sport over the last 30-odd years.“Chess was not a commercial sport and women’s chess was not at all (commercial). So even after I became a GM, after being women’s world No. 2 for many years, there was not much money involved in the sport. When I won the Grand Prix, I think my prize money was about 6,000 euros,” said 39-year-old Humpy after her team Alpine APL Pipers, led by Magnus Carlsen on the top board, defeated Mumba Masters 11-6 in the Global Chess League (GCL) on Wednesday.“Now, you have Cairns Cup and Norway Chess, where the first prize for women is about 60,000 euros. The Tata Steel Rapid & Blitz event in India also gives equal prize to women, plus starting fees (appearance money). Sport is becoming more commercial. So, if you have the talent, you can sustain professionally.”Still, very few U-15 girls the world over belong to the Elo 2000 rating bracket, only about 60 compared to 850 boys.Asked what is stopping the vast majority of girls who shine at the age-group girls’ events but remain far off from the GM title, Humpy said: “The major difference is that the parents give more freedom to boys to go to any chess club or to someone’s house. So, they’ll sit with other boys and male players and start working. But when it comes to teenage girls, no parent is comfortable sending a girl alone.“If we have regular training camps where the girls will come and attend along with other boys and with some International Masters or GMs, they’ll definitely pick up fast. I don’t know who can do it, state body, (national) federation or maybe some private parties,” Humpy said.Results (Day 5): APL Pipers 11 bt Mumba Masters 6, Triveni Kings 3 lost to Ganges Grandmasters 15, Mumba 6 lost to Alaskan Knights 11, American Gambits 8 bt Triveni 5.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.