Divya Deshmukh triumphed in a thrilling all-Indian final at the 2025 FIDE Women’s Chess World Cup, defeating Koneru Humpy after a tense tiebreaker.
Divya Deshmukh emerged victorious in a dramatic all-Indian final at the FIDE Women’s Chess World Cup 2025, defeating compatriot Koneru Humpy after an intense tiebreak showdown that followed two gripping encounters.
The final began with a cautious and well-balanced game 1 between Grandmaster Humpy and rising star Divya, which ended in a 41-move draw. In the second game of the finale, Divya once again gave nothing away and held higher-ranked compatriot Humpy to an easy draw ( in 34 moves) on Sunday to force the final into a tie-breaker, where games of shorter duration were played to determine the winner.
The rapid tiebreaks kicked off with Divya taking the white pieces in the first game as she began with Petrov’s Defence. An early pawn trade set the tone as both players opted for a solid approach. After a flurry of tactical exchanges, with both having castled short, the game entered deep time trouble. Divya executed perpetual checks in the final stage, leading to a handshake and the game in the first tie-break ending in another draw.
The second game of the tiebreak started with both players battling nerves and pressure. This time, Humpy had the white pieces and opened with Queen’s Gambit Declined: Catalan Variation. But it was Divya who seized the initiative by gaining a crucial pawn advantage. She managed to control the clock better and pulled ahead on the evaluation bar. Her superior positional play tilted the momentum.
Soon enough, she had an 8-minute advantage on the clock, giving her a tactical edge. Then Humpy unnecessarily pushed her pawns in a dead-drawn position, and out of nowhere, Divya was in the driver’s seat. Under time pressure, the 38-year-old from Gudivada, Andhra Pradesh, committed another blunder, handing the title to Divya.
Under time pressure, 🇮🇳Humpy blundered — 🇮🇳Divya is now close to winning the Women’s World Cup! pic.twitter.com/tn8uqwtAdn
— Take Take Take (@TakeTakeTakeApp) July 28, 2025
After the game, Divya, realising that she had created history, broke down in tears and sealed the title as the 2025 Women’s World Cup champion, in what will be remembered as a landmark moment for Indian chess.
