The 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh became the first Indian champion of the FIDE Women’s Chess World Cup after defeating Koneru Humpy, 38, in an all-Indian final.
On Monday in Batumi, Georgia, Divya won the second quick tie-breaker game by defeating Humpy with black pieces. The winner was determined by a tie-breaker following two days of fierce classical chess that ended in draws.
After a stalemate in the first swift tie-breaker between Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh, Divya won the second. Divya’s victory guarantees her a spot in the Candidates event and helps her take home the ‘Grandmaster’ title. Divya wrote a fairy tale ending in Baku on Monday by defeating famous compatriot Koneru Humpy 1.5-0.5 in the fast tie-breaks of the all-Indian final.
Both players displayed tenacity and top-tier performance in the tight draws that closed the weekend’s classical matches. Divya, with the white pieces, established a strong position in the first game on Saturday but allowed Humpy to equalize late. Although Divya acknowledged she “wandered into trouble for no apparent reason” before holding on, the second game on Sunday was more evenly matched.
However, the young sensation turned the tide during the tie-breaks. Following a tie in the first quick game, Humpy faltered under time pressure in the second, making crucial mistakes that Divya took advantage of. With unwavering composure, Divya won the 2025 Women’s World Cup and became the fourth Indian woman to achieve the Grandmaster title and the country’s 88th GM overall.
After the final, an emotional Divya declared, “It was fate.” “I was considering the possibility of earning a Grandmaster norm here prior to the competition. In the end, I was promoted to Grandmaster.
Given the circumstances, Divya’s success is all the more impressive. She entered the tie-breaks as the underdog because it was generally assumed that Humpy, the two-time World Rapid Champion and current world No. 5 in classical chess, would win the faster format. However, according to the FIDE women’s list, Divya was placed No. 18 in classical, No. 22 in fast, and No. 18 in blitz.
The teenager from Nagpur, who won the World Junior Championship championship only a year ago, has had a spectacular ascent with this victory. She secured individual gold on her board and was instrumental in India’s gold medal drive at the 2024 Chess Olympiad in Budapest.