Batumi, Georgia: In a historic moment for Indian chess, 19-year-old International Master Divya Deshmukh from Nagpur, Maharashtra, won the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup, defeating Grandmaster Humpy Koneru with a score of 1.5–0.5 in a tense tiebreak at the Sheraton Hotel in Batumi, Georgia. This victory establishes Divya as the third winner of the prestigious Women’s World Cup, following Alexandra Kosteniuk in 2021 and Aleksandra Goryachkina in 2023. The all-Indian final, a first for the tournament, underscored India’s growing influence in global chess, drawing attention from fans and dignitaries worldwide, including a congratulatory message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup, held from July 6 to July 28 in the Black Sea coastal city of Batumi, brought together 107 players from 46 federations, including 17 of the world’s top 20-ranked women. The tournament, a showcase of chess talent, culminated in a final requiring a tiebreak to determine the champion. The tiebreak consisted of two rapid games with a 15-minute base time and a 10-second increment per move. FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich greeted both finalists before the match, wishing them luck as the chief arbiter started the clocks at 12:00 PM local time.
In the first tiebreak game, Divya, playing White, opened with 1.e4. Humpy, known for her solid Berlin Defence since late 2023, surprised her opponent with the Petroff Defence (2…Nf6). She played 6…Bf5, a reliable sideline she had used to defeat Divya in the 2023 Tata Steel India Blitz. The game followed a 2024 Biel Masters encounter between Leon Luke Mendonca and Arseniy Nesterov until move 15. On move 20, Divya played 20.d5, aiming to liquidate her isolated queen’s pawn and activate her minor pieces. Humpy countered with 20…Rad8, capturing the d5-pawn, but Divya’s piece activity maintained a balanced position. On move 33, with only 20 seconds remaining, Humpy played 33…Re7, a move that allowed Divya to respond with 34.Rd1, threatening a pin that forced Humpy to sacrifice her queen. The resulting endgame—rook, bishop, and pawn versus queen—was holdable, but Divya missed a winning opportunity on move 37 by playing 37.Rc8 instead of 37.Qb8+, which would have secured a pawn and likely the game. The game ended in a draw. Former World Champion Viswanathan Anand, providing commentary, noted, “A big missed chance for Divya,” while praising both players’ determination.
The second game saw Humpy open with the Catalan, met by Divya’s choice of 4…dxc4, 5…Bb4+, a sharp system employed by top Grandmasters like Dmitry Andreikin, Grigoriy Oparin, and Parham Maghsoodloo. Divya held an extra pawn but faced weaknesses on a5 and c6, with her pieces slightly cramped. Humpy, with less than three minutes compared to Divya’s 11, struggled with time management. For over 20 moves, the players manoeuvred cautiously, with the position remaining equal. On move 40, Humpy played 40.e4, followed by 41.d5, allowing Divya to seize control with 41…Qe5. Anand called Humpy’s moves “a self-inflicted collapse,” attributing them to the pressure of the ticking clock. In the resulting rook endgame, Divya played 53…f4, sacrificing a pawn to activate her king via f5. Humpy’s response, 54.Rxf4 instead of 54.Ke4, allowed Divya to advance her a-pawn. Despite mutual time pressure, Divya converted the advantage, securing the title. Post-game, she reflected, “I’m pretty sure I messed up the ending at some point. I need to learn endgames.”
Divya’s journey to the final was marked by a notable upset in the semifinals, where she defeated former Women’s World Champion Tan Zhongyi of China, becoming the first Indian woman to reach the Women’s World Cup final. In that game, Divya surprised Tan with 3.c3 against the Sicilian, deviating from her usual 3.d4. Despite spending significant time in the opening, she capitalised on Tan’s miscalculation on move 32, securing a victory that earned her a Grandmaster norm and a Candidates Tournament spot. Her semifinal performance showcased her preparation and resilience, qualities that carried her through the final.
The victory earned Divya the USD 50,000 first prize and the Grandmaster title, a rare achievement without the standard requirement of three norms or a 2500 rating. She joins an elite group of players who earned the title through a major FIDE event. “I need time to process it,” Divya said in an emotional interview, embracing her mother before adding, “It was fate, getting the Grandmaster title this way, as I didn’t have one norm before.” She also secured a spot in the 2026 Candidates Tournament, alongside Humpy and Tan Zhongyi, who claimed third place after defeating Lei Tingjie in a match for the bronze medal. Tan, a former World Champion, now holds an impressive record of two third-place finishes and one fourth-place finish in the Women’s World Cup’s three editions.
India’s chess prominence was further highlighted by the achievements of Gukesh Dommaraju, an 18-year-old from Chennai, who became the youngest undisputed World Chess Champion on December 12, 2024, defeating Ding Liren 7.5–6.5 in Singapore. At 18 years and six months, Gukesh surpassed Garry Kasparov’s record, set at 22 in 1985. His path included winning the 2024 Candidates Tournament at 17, making him the youngest ever to do so, and leading India to gold at the 2024 Chess Olympiad, where he earned an individual gold medal with a 9/10 score. Gukesh’s triumph, paired with Divya’s victory, reflects India’s emergence as a global chess leader, inspiring a new generation of players. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Proud of Divya Deshmukh on becoming FIDE Women’s World Chess Champion 2025. Congratulations for this feat. Koneru Humpy has also shown prowess throughout the championship.”
A prize-giving ceremony with photographs is scheduled for this evening at the Sheraton Hotel, followed by a detailed analysis of the tiebreak games.
– global bihari bureau
