Blitz Bureau
IN a clash of generations, 19-yearold Divya Deshmukh stunned her more experienced compatriot Koneru Humpy to win the FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025. The 15th seed from Nagpur broke the glass ceiling by becoming the first Indian woman to claim the prestigious title.
It was glad tidings for Divya, the world junior champion, as she became only the fourth Indian woman to achieve this feat. The contest went right to the wire after both played exciting draws in the two classical games before Divya prevailed in the tie- breaker to win 1.5-0.5 on July 21. “It was fate,” said an emotional Divya after the final. “Before the tournament, I was thinking that I could may be earn a Grandmaster norm here. And at the end, I became a Grandmaster.”
Divya whose both parents are doctors went about decimating her opponents with surgical precision. It was a dream run for her at Baku where she conquered the likes of Zhu Zhiner (World No.2), Tan Zhonghi (No.3) and Harika Dronvalli (10) before prevailing over Humpy. For the last two years, Divya has been in great form. After winning the world junior crown in 2024, she created a stir when she defeated world champion Hou Yifan in the World team championships in London in June. That win helped cement her position as one of the leading players of the world. It must be mentioned here that no other Indian has defeated Hou Yifan before.
Earlier, she had played a stellar role in the Indian women’s team winning the gold medal at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest last year. She won seven out of the eight games she played. In the final, after the first rapid game ended in a draw, the second saw Humpy crack under time pressure, making critical blunders that Divya pounced on. With nerves of steel, Divya closed out the win to become the champion.
Divya’s victory is even more remarkable considering the odds. She came into the tie-breaks as the underdog — Humpy, a two-time World Rapid Champion and currently World No. 5 in classical chess, was widely expected to dominate in the faster format. In contrast, Divya was ranked No. 18 in classical, No. 22 in rapid, and No. 18 in blitz on the FIDE women’s list.
