Caution is Koneru Humpy's mantra to checkmate coronavirus

CHENNAI: Under normal circumstances, world No. 2 Koneru Humpy would have been spending considerable amount of time gearing up for the final leg of the women's Grand Prix (WGP) to be held in Sardinia, Italy from May 2 to 15.
However, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak means that her preparations have been hit and she is unsure if the tournament will go ahead as per schedule since Italy has been among the worst affected nations.
"Due to this virus there is definitely going to be a pause in preparation. As of now, there is no information about cancellation of the event in Italy but I don't expect them to host it looking at how severe the situation is in Italy," Humpy told TOI. Humpy does believe that FIDE will reschedule the dates once things settle down.
Each player can feature in up to three editions of the WGP cycle. Humpy is currently second in the WGP standings with 293 points from two editions of the competition. Russia's Aleksandra Goryachkina leads the table with 398 points but has already completed her quota of appearances in the WGP. Players finishing in top-two qualify for the women's Candidates which will be held in the first half of next year. The winner of the women's Candidates will get to play current world champion Ju Wenjun in the world championship final.
The advent of Coronavirus has certainly made Humpy employ the extra-cautious route. She hasn't stepped out of her home in the last four days. Humpy conceded that for the first time in her life she has had to resort to such a drastic measure. "It is the need of the hour. Life is larger than anything and it's very important to be safe and maintain good levels of hygiene, especially with a little one (my daughter Ahana) at home. One has to be more cautious since kids and elderly people are more susceptible," said Humpy.
To top that, Humpy has already asked her domestic helps to go on leave. "No cook and maid from outside in order to maintain hygiene in the house. I am spending quality time with my daughter Ahana as I don't see any tournaments in near future," said the32-year-old from Vijayawada.
Humpy, like many other players, seems surprised by FIDE's decision to go ahead with the Candidates that's currently being held at Yekaterinburg in Russia.