FIDE Women’s World Cup: Divya Stuns Zhu in Game 1 of pre-quarterfinals
Divya Deshmukh caused a massive upset as she defeated Zhu Jiner in Game 1 of the pre-quarterfinals of the FIDE Women’s World Cup in Batumi, Georgia, on Wednesday.
Another Indians in action – R. Vaishali, Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli – were all held to a draw in Game 1 of their respective last-eight matches.
Divya, playing with white pieces, dominated second-seeded Chinese Zhu for a long time before eventually securing the win.
Vaishali, who also had white pieces, played out a draw against Kazakhstan’s Meruert Kamalidenova.
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Experienced Humpy and Harika both drew with black pieces against Switzerland’s Alexandra Kosteniuk and Russia’s Kateryna Lagno respectively.
Only one Indian player has ever entered the quarterfinal of a Women’s World Cup – Harika in 2023.
The World Cup offers three spots to the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament, set to happen in the first half of 2026.
All four Indians will play Game on Thursday, July 17, from 4:45PM IST.