In an all-Indian final at the Women’s Chess World Cup, 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh pulled off a brilliant win against veteran Koneru Humpy. The match, played in Batumi, Georgia, was decided in the tie-break rounds after two long days of classical games ended without a winner.
Tense Tie-Breaker Decides Women’s Chess World Cup
Both players played solid chess in the classical format, but neither could grab a win. That took the match into rapid tie-breakers. The first rapid game also ended in a draw, but in the second one, Divya showed nerves of steel and took control at the right moment.
Humpy gave a tough fight throughout, but Divya slowly built pressure with smart moves. The game stretched all the way to Move 75, where Humpy had no choice left and had to resign. It was a special moment for Divya, and one that made history for Indian chess.
Big Blunder by Humpy Turns the Match
The game had been neck-and-neck until Humpy made a big mistake. On move 40, she pushed her pawn to e4, and that gave Divya the chance to bring her Queen into action. From that point, the momentum shifted toward the youngster.
Divya tried to swap Queens, but Humpy didn’t agree and wanted to keep fighting. She had less than a minute on the clock though, which added pressure. Both players were left with just a Rook each, but Divya had one extra pawn which really helped.
Divya Deshmukh Makes Indian History in Chess
Later in the match, Humpy made another blunder, and that allowed Divya to push a pawn forward that could be promoted soon. Humpy couldn’t recover from that. Divya kept calm, made the right moves, and forced the win.
With this win, Divya not only became the FIDE Women’s Chess World Cup Champion, but also officially earned the Grandmaster title. She broke down in tears, hugged by her family, while the audience applauded her remarkable performance.
A Proud Moment for Indian Chess Fans
This is the first time an Indian has won the Women’s Chess World Cup, and it’s even more exciting that both finalists were from India. Humpy, with all her experience, made it a thrilling match. But it was Divya’s day, and she totally deserved the win.
