India’s young sensation Divya Deshmukh conquers the FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025.
Divya created history as she became the first Indian to win the Women’s World Cup 2025, beating Koneru Humpy with a score of 2.5-1.5 in the tie-breaks on Monday in Batumi.
Achieves Grandmaster Status With Final Norm
With this win, Divya not only claimed the World Cup crown but also fulfilled her final GM norm, officially becoming India’s 88th Grandmaster.
Humpy made a mistake by capturing the f pawn, which changed the tide in Divya’s favour towards the final moments of the contest.
All-Indian Final Ends in Tense Tie-Break
The Indian players, who were left tied at 1-1 each after the two classical games in the Final, entered the tie-breaks on Monday to decide the ultimate winner.
Divya became the fourth female Indian grandmaster, following in the footsteps of Humpy, R. Vaishali, and Harika Dronavalli.
Divya Deshmukh Reflects on Her Journey
Following her win, Divya stated that while she feels there’s much more to accomplish, she attributes her Grandmaster title to fate.
“I definitely need to learn endgames. I am pretty sure at some point I messed it up. I need time to process it. I think it was fate that I get the GM title this way. Before this tournament, I didn’t even have one norm. It definitely means a lot. There’s a lot more to achieve. I’m hoping this is just the start,” Divya said as quoted by ESPN.
Who is Divya Deshmukh?
Divya was born on December 9, 2005 in Nagpur, Maharashtra. Both parents are doctors. She started playing chess when she was very small. She studied in Bhavans Bhagwandas Purohit Vidya Mandir school.
She became very good at chess very fast. Now she is a Woman Grandmaster and also an International Master. Divya win many medals in big chess games like Chess Olympiad, Asian Championship and World Youth.
In 2021, she became India’s 21st Woman Grandmaster. Then in 2022, she won Women’s National Championship. She also helped India to win gold medal in FIDE Online Olympiad.
At the end of 2024, Divya became India’s No. 2 female chess player. She shows everyone how strong she is in chess with her hard work and love for the game.
India Takes Gold and Silver, China Settles for Bronze
Divya Deshmukh secures gold, Humpy Koneru pockets silver, while China’s sensation Tan Zhongy finished the tournament with a bronze medal.
Earlier, the opening game of the FIDE Women’s World Cup final saw two of India’s finest talents, Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh, settle for a hard-fought draw. The scoreboard read 1/2 – 1/2.
The second round of the FIDE Women’s World Cup also ended in a draw. Two of India’s finest talents, Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh, settled for a hard-fought draw. The scoreboard read 1/2 – 1/2.
ALSO READ: Women’s Chess World Cup Final: Divya Deshmukh Triumphs Over Koneru Humpy
