19-year-old Divya Deshmukh becomes FIDE Women's World Cup 2025 Champion and India's 88th Grandmaster
IM Divya Deshmukh defeated GM Koneru Humpy 1.5-2.5 to win FIDE Women's World Cup 2025. The 19-year-old from Nagpur, Maharashtra became India's 88th Grandmaster for winning this event, making her the fourth Indian female to achieve this and 44th of the world. She has also become the youngest female ever to win this event. GM Alexandra Kosteniuk won the inaugural edition in 2021 at the age of 37 years and GM Aleksandra Goryachkina won it when she was 24. Divya is also the first non-GM player to have won this event. The top three prizes were US$ 50000, $35000 and $25000. The teenager has now won National Women, Tata Steel India Rapid Women, Asian Continental Women, double Gold at the 45th Olympiad Women among her major accolades. As she said, there is a lot more to achieve and she is hoping that this is just a start. Photo: FIDE/Anna Shtourman
Youngest Women's World Cup winner
"Definitely need to learn endgames (with a laugh). I am pretty sure at some point I messed it up. I am not sure how. It should be an easy win. I think I should not allow g4. I think maybe I should just go Ra3, Rf3, Rg3 and that should be a win." - Divya's initial world after winning the Women's World Cup. "I need time to process it. I think it was fate, me getting the Grandmaster title this way because before this, I did not have even one norm. Before this tournament, I was thinking where can I get my norm and now I am a Grandmaster." - Divya on winning the tournament. "It's hard for me to speak right now. It definitely means a lot, but of course there is a lot more to achieve, so I am hoping this is just a start."
"I need time to process it. I think it was fate, me getting the Grandmaster title this way because before this, I did not have even one norm. Before this tournament, I was thinking where can I get my norm and now I am a Grandmaster."
Tie-break Game 1: Divya - Humpy: 0.5-0.5
The first 15'+10" Rapid tie-break game between IM Divya Deshmukh (2395) and GM Koneru Humpy (2446) ended in a draw.
Game 2: Humpy - Divya: 0-1
One of the toughest things to do, is do nothing. In an equal major piece endgame, Humpy made an unnecessary pawn break.
40.e4?! was unnecessary dxe4 41.d5? Qe5-+ gave Black decisive advantage. 42.Rd1 Rd8 was needed. 42...cxd5 was played and the game got prolonged. The pressure of a World Cup Final and moreover nearly a month-long tough battles against world's top players is bound to take a toll.
54.Rxf4?? again put Black in control a4-+ After a bit of back and forth play, worthy of the Finals, Divya finally managed to win the game and become FIDE Women's World Cup 2025 champion.
"It's hard for me to speak right now. It definitely means a lot, but of course there is a lot more to achieve, so I am hoping this is just a start."
Path to Finals and results
Round 1: Bye
Round 2: IM Divya Deshmukh - WFM Kesaria Mgeladze (GEO): 1.5-0.5
Round 3: IM Divya Deshmukh - IM Teodora Injac (SRB): 1.5-0.5
Round 4: GM Jiner Zhu C (CHN) - IM Divya Deshmukh: 1.5-2.5
Round 5: IM Divya Deshmukh - GM Harika Dronavalli: 3-1
Round 6: IM Divya Deshmukh - GM Zhongyi Tan: 1.5-0.5
Round 7: GM Koneru Humpy - IM Divya Deshmukh :1.5-2.5
Replay Round 7/Final Tie-break games live stream
Prizes
The total prize fund was US$ 691250 which will be distributed among 107 players. The top three prizes were $50000, $35000 and $25000.
