On Monday, July 28, 2025, in Batumi, Georgia, known for its stunning Black Sea coastline, a new star emerged to conquer the global chess scene. A 19-year-old Bharatiya, Divya Deshmukh, defeated her more experienced compatriot to make history.

Before this, no Indian had progressed beyond the quarterfinals in this prestigious event, with Harika Dronavalli’s 2023 quarterfinal finish being the previous best performance.

The 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup, held from July 6 to July 28 in Batumi, Georgia, gathered the world’s best female chess players. A total of 107 players from 46 different federations participated, including seventeen of the current top twenty! Chess legends, seasoned professionals, and emerging talents competed for the $50,000 first prize, along with three qualifying spots for the Candidates Tournament.

In a final that went down to the wire, with the two classic games drawn and the first rapid tiebreak drawn, Divya Deshmukh, the 19-year-old International Master from Nagpur, Maharashtra, etched her name into chess history by defeating Grandmaster Humpy Koneru 1.5–0.5 in the second game of the tiebreak to win the Women’s World Cup.

In the two 15 10 rapid tiebreak games, Divya displayed both resilience and composure. After missing a golden opportunity in the first game, which ended in a draw, she brought elite-level precision to the second. She equalised comfortably as Black, then seized control as Humpy slipped under time pressure—clinching the crown emphatically.

Divya now becomes only the third person to win the prestigious title after Russian Swiss Grand Master Alexandra Kosteniuk (2021) and Grand Master Aleksandra Graciano (2023).

With this triumph, Divya not only secured the USD 50,000 first prize but also qualified for the 2026 Candidates Tournament, alongside the second and........

© News18