The final was historic even before the first move was played. For the first time ever, two Indian players qualified for the semifinals and then went on to set up an all-Indian clash in the final. Their appearance alone signified a seismic shift in the global chess landscape, traditionally dominated by players from Eastern Europe and China
Divya Deshmukh (Photo: ChessBase India)
Teenage Indian chess prodigy Divya Deshmukh secured the biggest win of her burgeoning career by winning the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup, defeating compatriot Koneru Humpy in a dramatic tie-break finale on Monday. The 19-year-old from Nagpur not only captured one of the most prestigious titles in women’s chess but also earned the coveted Grandmaster title.
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After both classical games played over the weekend ended in hard-fought draws, the match moved into the rapid tie-breaks. It was here that Divya’s resilience, preparation, and nerves of steel truly came to the fore. The first rapid game saw her adopt the Petroff Defense, resulting in an isolated queen pawn structure. Despite sacrificing a pawn in the middlegame, she successfully navigated the complexities, and the game settled into an endgame where Humpy held a rook, bishop, and pawn against Divya’s queen, eventually ending in a balanced draw.
In the return tie-break game, Humpy opened with the Catalan, but Divya was impeccably prepared and equalized with ease. Although Humpy tried to force matters with an early pawn sacrifice, the game evolved into a tense queen-and-rook endgame that once again seemed headed toward a draw. However, on the 40th move, Humpy miscalculated under time pressure, opting for a risky pawn sacrifice to break through Divya’s defenses. Though the young star could have capitalized more decisively, the ensuing rook-and-pawn endgame was still tenable.
In the final moments, Humpy, pressed for time and under immense psychological strain, made a critical error. Divya seized her chance with precision, converting the advantage into a theoretically won position and ultimately, sealing her historic win.
The win crowned Divya as the 88th Grandmaster of India and the fourth Indian woman to achieve this feat, following in the footsteps of legends like Humpy, Dronavalli Harika, and R Vaishali. Notably, Humpy became a Grandmaster in 2002, three years before Divya was born.
While Humpy’s glittering career includes nearly every major accolade, the World Cup title remains elusive. For Divya, however, this marks the beginning of a potentially era-defining journey. Her energy, focus, and unyielding determination wore down one of the game’s greats.
(With PTI inputs)
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