Key Points

Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh have scripted history by securing an all-Indian final in the FIDE Women's World Cup. Humpy outplayed Lei Tingjie in a tense semifinal, while Deshmukh dominated Tan Zhongyi with precision. This marks India's first-ever world title shot in women's chess. The duo's success follows a record four Indian quarterfinalists in the tournament.

Key Points: Koneru Humpy Divya Deshmukh Make History in FIDE Chess World Cup Final

  • Humpy defeats Lei Tingjie 5-3 in thrilling semifinal
  • Divya Deshmukh overpowers Tan Zhongyi 1.5-0.5
  • First-ever all-Indian final in women's chess
  • Four Indians reached quarterfinals in historic first
2 min read

Koneru Humpy, Divya Deshmukh set up all-Indian title clash in FIDE Women's Chess World Cup, create history

Indian chess stars Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh create history by reaching the FIDE Women's World Cup final, ensuring an all-Indian title clash.

"Divya Deshmukh and Humpy Koneru will face off in an all-Indian Final at the FIDE Women's World Cup 2025! – International Chess Federation"

Batumi, July 24

In a historic achievement for India, two Indian women chess players will play the final of the FIDE Women's World Cup 2025. This will be India's first world title in women's chess.

India's Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh entered the final, defeating their Chinese opponents to set up the title clash.

Divya Deshmukh defeated her Chinese opponent Tan Zhongyi 1.5-0.5 in the semis, whereas Koneru Humpy won against Lei Tingjie by 5-3 margin.

Humpy's first game with Lei Tingjie ended in a draw at 0.5-0.5 each, and so did the other semifinal first game between Tan Zhongyi and Divya .

"Divya Deshmukh and Humpy Koneru will face off in an all-Indian Final at the FIDE Women's World Cup 2025! Who are you backing in the Final? Results - Semifinal: Divya Deshmukh 1.5-0.5 Tan Zhongyi, Humpy Koneru 5-3 Lei Tingjie," International Chess Federation said in a post on X.

Earlier, Humpy created history by becoming the first Indian woman to reach the semifinals of the tournament. A solid draw in the second game of her quarterfinal clash against China's IM Song Yuxin was enough to seal the deal, according to ESPN.

There were a couple of minor inaccuracies along the way, but Humpy kept things under control, playing safe and smart. Eventually, her opponent settled for a draw, which confirmed Humpy's passage into the final four.

Deshmukh produced a remarkable performance to defeat compatriot GM Harika Dronavalli in the quarterfinals, winning both the tie-break games to advance to the semifinals.

The match was tightly contested in the classical segment, but Divya grabbed her opportunity in the first tie-break, when Harika made a crucial error in the endgame. In the second tie-break game, Harika had chances to bounce back, but she missed a couple of winning opportunities, and Divya made her pay for it. As a result, Harika's campaign came to an end, while Divya marched on with great composure and maturity.

Four Indian women had entered the quarterfinals of the FIDE Women's World Cup for the very first time, creating a unique achievement for India.

- ANI

Share this article:

Reader Comments

P
Priya S
As a chess mom myself, this makes me so emotional! Finally our girls are getting the recognition they deserve. Humpy has been grinding for years, while Divya is the new sensation. Tough to pick a favorite - may the best player win!
R
Rohit P
Chess is becoming India's new cricket! First Pragg, now this. But why isn't this getting more media coverage? We celebrate cricket wins so much but ignore other sports. These women deserve equal hype!
S
Sarah B
As an expat living in India, I'm amazed by the chess culture here. The depth of talent is incredible! Divya's win against Harika was particularly impressive - she played like a veteran. Wishing both players luck in the final!
K
Karthik V
While this is fantastic news, I hope the federation provides better support to women players. Humpy has spoken about challenges before. We need proper infrastructure and sponsorships to sustain this success.
N
Nisha Z
My heart says Humpy - she's been the flagbearer of Indian women's chess for so long. But my mind says Divya is the future! Either way, it's a win-win for India. Chess revolution is here! ♟️

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50