Divya Deshmukh Becomes FIDE Women’s Chess World Cup Winner At Just 19. Super Girl!
In a moment of pride for Indian chess, 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh won the FIDE Women's World Cup in Batumi, Georgia, on Monday!
In a moment of pride for Indian chess, 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh won the FIDE Women’s World Cup in Batumi, Georgia, on Monday, beating veteran Grandmaster Koneru Humpy in the rapid tie-breaker round. Deshmukh made history after the dramatic finale, where both games played out in classical format ended in a draw, taking the match to rapid play.
Divya Deshmukh Wins FIDE Women’s Chess World Cup
In the second quick game, Divya capitalised on her moment when Humpy, who was 38 and regarded as one of India’s finest women chess players, committed a critical blunder on her move 54. Using the black pieces, Divya had no hesitation in turning that error into a decisive victory, winning the title and securing her position in the world of chess.
This victory makes Divya the fourth Indian woman to have earned a Grandmaster title, joining the ranks of Humpy, Harika Dronavalli, and R. Vaishali. The two finalists have now also qualified for the Candidates tournament next year, the winner of which will play for the women’s world champion title against China’s Ju Wenjun.
Following her win, tearful Divya could hardly hold back her emotions. With tears welling up in her eyes, she embraced her mother after the last move, clearly overcome with the sheer size of her accomplishment. “It still doesn’t feel real,” she described in a post-game interview. “I never dreamed of winning the GM title like this, I had just one norm coming into this. But perhaps it was supposed to be. This is just the start.”
Also Read: Divya Deshmukh’s Reaction Goes Viral After Groundbreaking Chess Victory. Watch!
More Details On Divya Deshmukh
As Nagpur’s young star has had a meteoric ascent. She won the Asian continental women’s championship in 2023 and, in spite of being a late entry, beat world champion Ju Wenjun at the Tata Steel rapid event. She also won the under-20 world title earlier this year, with 10 points from 11 games, going unbeaten in them.
First Published: July 28, 2025 5:07 PM
