The Indian men, though, failed to impress. GM Pentalya Harikrishna finished 11th, with 5.5 points, and GM Krishnan Sasikiran 13th, also with 5.5 points. The men’s rapid was won by Murtas Kazhgalyev of Kazakhstan (7.5 points), Vietnam’s Thien Hai Dao (7) won silver and China’s Bu Xiangzhi (7) bronze.

Harikrishna won four, drew three and lost two, while Sasikiran won three, drew five and lost one in their campaigns.

From here, to the classical format of the team championship, and Humpy, who started in chess from when she was six, feels that will be a different challenge. “In a team game, there will have to be more co-ordination, and we must look after each other. We hope to do well in that too.”

It has been a long journey for Humpy, having emerged into the open with the world junior championship. She went onto win the Arjuna Award in 2003, and became Asia’s youngest International Women’s Master in 1999 before finally graduating to win the men’s Grandmaster title. She was the youngest-ever woman to achieve the men’s GM title, at age 15 years, one month, and 27 days, beating Judith Polgar’s record of 15 years, 4 months and 27 days.

From now, it is a new journey on the fast track for Humpy.