Mumbai, June 23 -- There was a certain air of calm and ease around Koneru Humpy during the damp days of 2025 Norway Chess. She did not mind sparing some time for a chat with the visiting Indian media - a rarity among players there. She was one of the more intriguingly enthusiastic participants for the off-beat games at a getaway on the first rest day. The mindset reflected in how the 38-year-old felt about her chess in the same tournament this year compared to the last, as well as the end result. For parts of the event that ran from May 26 to June 6, Humpy was the frontrunner in a strong six-woman field. The Indian world No.6 eventually signed off third, yet not before notching up three classical wins and five draws from 10 games. In 2024, she finished fifth with one classical win. Humpy's upturn at Norway Chess epitomized her classical fortunes over the past 18 months. If 2024 was a freefall in her classical form, 2025 has been upbeat so far. The ignition would come in the form of the world rapid title that Humpy reclaimed last December after a gap of five years. It also picked up her momentum in classical. She finished joint leader at the FIDE Grand Prix in Monaco and won the Pune Grand Prix in April coming into Norway Chess. At the Cairns Cup in USA's St. Louis that ended on Thursday, Humpy was tied for the lead after seven rounds but faltered in the final stretch to slip in the order. "I'm very happy with the results, especially the latest ones - winning the World Rapid title and Grand Prix in Pune," Humpy said. "I was not expecting to get the second world title. I wasn't doing well last year, underperforming in many tournaments. Norway Chess, especially, was disastrous for me last year. "I lost my ratings heavily, and dropped down in world rankings too. With my recent two Grand Prix performances, I've regained my ratings. But still, I want to improve it further." Humpy is currently rated 2543 in classical, up from 2523 a few months ago. For someone who achieved her peak rating of 2623 way back in 2009, the 38-year-old still carries the eagerness to arrest the slide, steady things and continue the demanding climb back up. "It's about the fighting spirit, and not accepting defeats," she said. "You want to prove to yourself more than anyone else that you are the best. That's what keeps me going still." There was a point last year that Humpy contemplated giving up playing chess professionally. But her preference of heading back home after every tournament to her family and daughter came in handy. ''When I lose, I don't sign up (for tournaments) quickly. I take time to recover and to work more. Sometimes it's very hard to come back from some losses. But for me, it's a bit different compared to the youngsters because I have a family and a kid at home. Once I go back home, I'm completely relaxed and out of this chess world," she said. Stepping back and taking a pause from that world at times is something even Viswanathan Anand has advised the young Indian chess stars aiming for the sky. It's easier said than done for some but for Humpy, she finds as much happiness staying at home as she does competing for ratings and titles around the globe. Even though her father may still be hooked to online chess daily, Humpy ensures she doesn't look at chess when home, "sometimes for weeks". Recently, there was a little shake up in that routine. "I've started seeing more chess videos, and also solving puzzles on a daily basis," she said. "It was not my routine before. It was challenging at first. But once I got used to it, I started enjoying it more than the regular stuff."...