New Delhi, March 16 Just a short distance from the conflict-ridden Gulf region, there are concerns about Cyprus hosting the prestigious Candidates Tournament this month, but the world chess governing body, FIDE, has rejected a possible change of venue, saying there is nothing even "remotely dangerous" to warrant such a move.
The Candidates Tournament, which will decide the challenger to the world championship titles currently held by India's D Gukesh (men) and China's Ju Wenjun (women), is scheduled to begin on March 28. India's Koneru Humpy is reportedly considering withdrawing from the tournament due to security concerns.
Earlier this month, a British air base in Cyprus was attacked by drones, raising fears that the conflict, which began with the American and Israeli bombing of Iran, would also engulf the island. Cyprus, the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, is located south of Turkey and is a member of the European Union.
"Our plans have not changed. We are in the final stages of preparing for the Candidates Tournament. Of course, we are monitoring the situation. Cyprus is not too far from, let's say, the war zone or conflict zone, but at the same time, it is not directly involved in any way and is not in a state of war," FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky told 'Chessbase'.
"There is no emergency situation or anything like that. Of course, about 10 days ago there were some worrying news, but since then the situation has appeared quite calm.
"But we are, of course, not just hoping that nothing will happen. We are constantly monitoring the situation and also staying in contact with the state authorities who are assisting us with everything related to the tournament," he added.
In the Open section, R Praggnanandhaa is the lone Indian, while World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh, Humpy, and R Vaishali have qualified for the women's Candidates.
Sutovsky expressed faith in the Cypriot government, saying that it is well aware of the tournament's significance. The Candidates features eight men and eight women who have qualified through a lengthy process. The winners will earn a shot at the world titles later this year.
"As I mentioned earlier, this event is not just some chess tournament in Cyprus. The government fully understands the status of this event and its importance. The President of the country is scheduled to personally open the tournament on March 28," Sutovsky said.
"We are considering various scenarios, even the most unlikely ones. But we firmly believe that the current situation provides no grounds or reasonable reasons to postpone the date or move the tournament from Cyprus.
"Could something happen? Possibly. But at the moment, we don't see anything even remotely dangerous enough to consider moving it."
In case Humpy withdraws, another player will be called in to fill her spot, and that situation may not be easy to handle for the other seven players.