Having held Tan to a solid draw on Tuesday with the black pieces in a tightly-contested game stemming from the Queen’s Gambit Declined, Divya entered the second game with renewed focus. Playing with the white pieces, she built her position with precision and waited patiently for her opportunity
Divya Deshmukh (Pic: Chessbase India)
All of 19, Divya Deshmukh stormed into the final of the FIDE Women’s World Cup on Wednesday, becoming the first Indian to achieve the feat. Facing China’s former world champion Zhongyi Tan in the semifinal, Divya displayed nerves of steel and masterful composure to seal a 1.5-0.5 win across two classical games.
BREAKING NEWS: 19-year-old IM Divya Deshmukh qualifies to FIDE Women's World Cup Finals, books her spot at the Women's Candidates Chess Tournament 2026!
— ChessBase India (@ChessbaseIndia) July 23, 2025
Divya won a wild game against Former Women's World Champion Tan Zhongyi in Game 2 of the semifinals! The first game was drawn,… pic.twitter.com/ZUL0WbQXDT
Having held Tan to a solid draw on Tuesday with the black pieces in a tightly-contested game stemming from the Queen’s Gambit Declined, Divya entered the second game with renewed focus. Playing with the white pieces, she built her position with precision and waited patiently for her opportunity. That chance arrived in the endgame, where Tan faltered with a costly blunder. Divya capitalised instantly, converting the advantage into a memorable win that not only secured her place in the final but also earned her a ticket to the prestigious FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament.
🇮🇳 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh advances to the Finals of the FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025!
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) July 23, 2025
❗️She earns a GM norm and secures her spot at the next Women's Candidates!#FIDEWorldCup @DivyaDeshmukh05 pic.twitter.com/GlTBHTPdxN
While Divya celebrated a breakthrough, fellow Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy’s journey to the final remained on hold. In the other semifinal clash against China’s Lei Tingjie, Humpy had a significant advantage in the endgame but was unable to convert, eventually settling for a draw. With both classical games ending in a stalemate, Humpy’s fate will now be decided in Thursday’s tiebreakers.
Divya’s rise in the world of chess has been swift and sensational. In 2021, she became India’s 21st Woman Grandmaster and went on to win the Women’s Indian Chess Championship in 2022. She also played a crucial role in India’s gold medal win at the 2020 FIDE Online Olympiad and claimed an individual bronze at the 2022 Chess Olympiad.
In 2023, she won the Asian Women’s Chess Championship in Almaty and dominated the women’s rapid section of the Tata Steel India Chess Tournament, defeating stalwarts like Humpy and Harika Dronavalli. Her form carried into 2024, with a title at the Sharjah Challengers and a historic victory at the FIDE World U20 Girls Championship, where she scored 10/11 to become only the fourth Indian to win the title.
Divya continued her fine run into 2025, playing a key role for the Hexamind Chess Club in the World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships in London. Her victory over World No. 1 Hou Yifan in a gripping 74-move blitz semifinal was a testament to her fearless and creative style.
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