Divya Deshmukh wins FIDE Women's World Cup: Her journey
What's the story
Indian chess prodigy Divya Deshmukh scripted history after becoming the FIDE Women's World Cup champion. In the final held in Georgia, Divya defeated her compatriot Koneru Humpy in the tiebreak. The classical matches between the two players were drawn. Notably, Divya became the only Indian woman to win the FIDE World Cup. The 19-year-old, who was seeded 15th, also became India's 88th Grandmaster. Have a look at her journey.
Final
How the final match between Divya and Humpy panned out
As mentioned, the final match between Divya and Humpy started with two drawn classical games, leading to rapid tiebreaks. The first rapid game saw Divya (playing White) and Humpy (playing Black) share the spoils. However, in the second game, Divya displayed resistance under intense time pressure. Humpy faltered with a series of critical errors. Seizing the opportunity, Divya capitalized decisively to secure her title victory.
Twitter Post
Divya enters record books
🇮🇳 Divya Deshmukh, just 19 years old, is the Winner of the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup! 🏆
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) July 28, 2025
With this incredible victory, she:
✨ Becomes a Grandmaster
✨ Secures a spot at the next Women’s Candidates#FIDEWorldCup @DivyaDeshmukh05 pic.twitter.com/fNlkRrzvr1
Feats
Massive feats for young Divya
Divya became the third FIDE Women's World Cup champion, joining GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (2021) and GM Aleksandra Goryachkina (2023). The Indian teenager not only became the World Cup champion but also earned her final Grandmaster norm. This officially gave her the coveted Grandmaster title. She became the fourth Indian woman and 88th overall player to achieve this milestone. Divya has also reached the 2026 Candidates Tournament, alongside GM Humpy and Tan Zhongyi.
Do you know?
Why Divya's win is historic
The prestigious Grandmaster (GM) title in chess is achieved when a player claims a FIDE rating of at least 2,500 and earn three GM norms. However, Divya is among the few players to achieve the Grandmaster title by winning a major FIDE event.
Journey
Remarkable run in FIDE WC
Divya, seeded 15th in the FIDE Women's World Cup, beat second seed Zhu Jiner in the fourth round. She then claimed a victory over 10th seed Harika Dronavalli in the quarter-finals. The Indian star reached the final after beating third seed Tan Zhongyi. The final saw two Indian players lock horns—Divya and Humpy—the first in FIDE Women's World Cup history.