CYPRUS — Ukrainian grandmaster Anna Muzychuk steps in for India’s Koneru Humpy at the 2026 Women’s Candidates Tournament after Humpy withdrew Sunday over safety fears tied to the Middle East conflict, FIDE announced.
The event, set for March 28 to April 16 in Cyprus, sees Muzychuk take the spot per regulations, as the next highest finisher in the 2024–25 Women’s Events Series without prior qualification. Humpy cited U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran disrupting Gulf travel hubs, posting on X: “No event, no matter how important, can come before personal safety… I do not feel fully secure.”
Muzychuk joins a powerhouse lineup: Tan Zhongyi, Kateryna Lagno, Aleksandra Goryachkina, Zhu Jiner, Divya Deshmukh, Vaishali Rameshbabu, and Bibisara Assaubayeva.
Last week, German billionaire Wadim Rosenstein proposed shifting the tournament to Germany at his expense for safety, but FIDE rejected it. CEO Emil Sutovsky affirmed to Reuters Monday: “Nothing has changed,” with Cyprus hosting as planned despite regional volatility forcing other sports cancellations.