Koneru Humpy hails Divya Deshmukh’s tremendous run ahead of FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025 final

Indian GM Koneru Humpy hailed compatriot Divya Deshmukh’s tremendous run at the FIDE Women’s World Cup, ahead of their final clash in Batumi, Georgia, starting on Saturday.

“I think it’s one of the happiest moments for the chess fans. But as a player tomorrow, it will be quite a tough game as well. Divya has played tremendously well in this whole tournament,” said Humpy after she beat Chinese GM Lei Tingjie in the semifinal on Thursday.

Divya, currently an International Master, stormed into the semifinal by trouncing higher-ranked opponents in the previous rounds – Chinese GM Zhu Jiner in the pre-quarterfinal and Indian GM D Harika in the quarterfinal.

In the semifinal, the 19-year-old outclassed former world champion Tan Zhongyi of China, clinching the win — and a Candidates 2026 spot and a GM norm — in straightforward fashion.

Humpy’s last-four win, though, was hard-earned, with the tie lasting close to six hours. After sharing points in the classical format and two rapid rounds, the 38-year-old Indian bettered Tingjie in both the blitz games to enter the final.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FIDE WORLD CUP FINAL

“It was a very tough match and she [Tingjie] also gave a very good fight,” said Humpy in a chat with FIDE.

In the second rapid round (10+10), Humpy was forced on the backfoot after losing Game 1 with black pieces.

“I think initially I played quite bad with the black pieces and she always had the advantage. After the loss, it was a very difficult situation, but I was able to come back,” said Humpy.

But, the 38-year-old, won on demand to force the blitz round, where she triumphed.

Humpy also had a piece of advice for the next generation of women chess players. “For girls, it’s really important to always compete especially among the boys. It’s important in their learning stage to fight with the main players so they can improve their skills.”

The World Cup final will happen on July 26 and 27, with the tiebreaks scheduled for July 28, if needed.