Divya Deshmukh scripted history on Monday as she won the FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025 by defeating Koneru Humpy in a nerve-wracking tie-break at Batumi, Georgia. The 19-year-old displayed exceptional composure, sealing her victory in the second rapid game with black pieces after drawing the first. This emotional win made her the fourth Indian woman to earn the prestigious Grandmaster title.
The final had extended into tie-breaks after the two classical games ended in draws, Divya took full advantage of a late blunder by Humpy in the 54th move of the second rapid game and converted it into a career-defining win.
Humpy, aged 38 and the reigning world Rapid champion, entered the match as a favorite however, Divya, with her consistent grit and youthful confidence, outplayed the seasoned campaigner when it mattered most. As Humpy resigned and left the board, Divya broke into tears, overwhelmed by the occasion. She hugged her mother with trembling joy, her emotions raw and visible.
“I need time to process it,” said Divya in her post-match interview. “It feels like fate, especially earning my GM title this way with just one norm.”
By clinching the title, Divya joins an elite group of Indian women Grandmasters: Humpy, Harika Dronavalli, and R Vaishali. Her qualification for the Candidates tournament — where the winner will challenge reigning world champion Ju Wenjun — further underlines her rising stature.
Divya has been on a phenomenal run over the past two years in 2023, she won the Asian continental women’s championship. As a last-minute entrant at the Tata Steel women’s rapid section, she stunned the field and outplayed Ju Wenjun to claim first place. In 2024, she lifted the World U-20 Girls Chess Championship title with an unbeaten score of 10/11.
Her triumph follows the footsteps of D Gukesh, who won the FIDE World Championship last year at just 18. Divya’s win continues the surge of India’s youth brigade in global chess and signals a bright future for the sport in the country.
