Humpy is in the city for a weeklong train camp for the upcoming inter-unit Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) chess tournament to be held in Ootty. She said that regular chess tournaments should be organised to make the game popular and attract money.

“If we get support from the starting stage then the game will naturally become popular and for the players money will also trickle,” said Humpy, who is on her first visit to Vadodara. She added that having leagues between clubs would also help them spot good players.

Humpy, who quit studies for the game, said, “For me, chess was more of an interest. It has fame but not money like tennis and cricket. And this discourages parents to allow their wards taking chess as serious career option.”

Humpy is the first Indian woman to win World Girls U-20 Championship held in Athens-2001. She also holds the record of the youngest woman ever to become grandmaster when she was 15 years, 1 month, 27 days old. She is currently number two in the world behind Judit Polgar with 2606 FIDE Elo rating.

She is likely to take part in Round Robin Ruylopez Grandmaster in April and may also play in the World Championship in Argentina.

Grandmaster K Sasikiran, India’s number two player, said, “It may take little long but chess will definitely witness a boom. We need sponsors who can at least take care for a few years.”

Talking about imparting training to school students, he said first one needs to understand the level of a player and his game, and based on that, he or she can be given a direction on which they can work individually.

Both Humpy and Sasikiran are parts of the ONGC team, which has been winning the PSPB tournament for the last four consecutive years. And this time also the team is confident of continuing the wining streak at the championship, beginning March 8.