Humpy Misses Out on World Rapid Title, Carlsen Clinches Sixth Crown

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In a heart-wrenching finale, Indian chess star Koneru Humpy fell short of claiming her third FIDE Women's World Rapid title, finishing with a bronze medal. Humpy, the 38-year-old grandmaster, was tied with Aleksandra Goryachkina of Russia and Zhu Jiner of China on 8.5 points after an unbeaten campaign until the final round. The tie-breaker saw 27-year-old Goryachkina edge past 23-year-old Zhu, winning the first game with white in 45 moves and drawing the second in 65 moves. This marked Humpy's second consecutive disappointment in the Women's World Rapid Championship, following her loss to Divya Deshmukh earlier this year. Meanwhile, Magnus Carlsen cemented his status as the king of rapid chess, winning the Open title for the sixth time. The Norwegian five-time classical world champion took a commanding lead into the final round, securing the title with a draw against Dutch GM Anish Giri. Carlsen's dominance in the tournament was evident, with a string of wins that included a statement-making victory over Hans Niemann. The Norwegian maestro's consistency has earned him a reputation as one of the greatest chess players of all time. For Humpy, the disappointment was palpable, but she remains a shining star in the Indian chess scene. The 38-year-old grandmaster has been a flag-bearer for Indian women's chess for two decades and continues to inspire a new generation of players. Savitha Shri Baskar, an 18-year-old Indian chess prodigy, made headlines with her impressive performance, holding Humpy to a 64-move draw in the final round. This was a new high for the rising star, who has already earned several accolades, including a WGM title and a bronze medal in the 2022 World Rapid.