Divya Deshmukh awarded wildcard for FIDE World Cup 2025
Grand Master Divya Deshmukh, the reigning FIDE Women’s World Cup winner, has been awarded a wild card for the FIDE World Cup 2025 in Goa.
The 11th edition of the single-elimination Chess tournament will take place from 31 October to 27 November 2025.
The Indian GM was given the wildcard following the last-minute withdrawal of one of its participants, with Ju Wenjun and Hou Yifan having earlier declined the invitation.
Divya most recently competed in the open section of the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025, earning two wins and six draws in 11 matches.
The 19-year-old will be among 20 other Indians participating in the knockout tournament, led by World Champion D. Gukesh.
The FIDE World Cup takes place every two years and lasts for three weeks. It features 206 top world players competing in a knock-out format consisting of mini-matches.
Also at stake will be the three top spots for the 2026 Candidates, where the challenger for the title of World Champion will be determined.
Published on Sep 22, 2025