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Divya Deshmukh becomes first Indian to win FIDE Women’s World Cup
With the win, she becomes the fourth female Grandmaster in India.
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Bhavana P - Mon, 28, Jul 2025
- 12:17 EDT
- 12
Divya Deshmukh (L) against Koneru Humpy (R) / X/ narendramodi
Indian teen Divya Deshmukh won the FIDE Women’s Chess World Cup title on July 28, earning her the Grandmaster (GM) title.
The 19-year-old from Nagpur secured the title in a closely contested final held in Batumi, Georgia, defeating fellow Indian and World No. 5 Koneru Humpy in the tiebreaks. Both classical games in the two-game final ended in hard-fought draws, pushing the match into rapid playoffs.
Also read: India to host FIDE World Cup 2025
After holding Humpy to a draw in the first tiebreak game, Deshmukh clinched victory in the second, playing with the black pieces and capitalizing on a series of endgame inaccuracies by her higher-rated opponent.
This World Cup win marks the most significant achievement of Deshmukh’s career. In 2024, she claimed the World Junior Championship title in Ahmedabad with a commanding performance. Earlier this year, she played a crucial role in India’s historic gold medal win at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest, where India entered as the top seed.
With this win, Deshmukh becomes the fourth Indian woman to achieve the Grandmaster title, following in the footsteps of Koneru Humpy, R. Vaishali, and Harika Dronavalli. In addition to the title, she was awarded prize money of $50,000 (approximately ₹41.6 lakh), while Humpy received $35,000 (approximately ₹29.1 lakh).
Commenting on her feat, Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi said “Proud of the young Divya Deshmukh on becoming FIDE Women's World Chess Champion 2025. Congratulations to her for this remarkable feat, which will inspire several youngsters. Koneru Humpy has also displayed immense prowess throughout the championship. Best wishes to both players for their future endeavours.”
A historic final featuring two outstanding Indian chess players!
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 28, 2025
Proud of the young Divya Deshmukh on becoming FIDE Women's World Chess Champion 2025. Congratulations to her for this remarkable feat, which will inspire several youngsters.
Koneru Humpy has also displayed… pic.twitter.com/l7fWeA3qLw
“Two Indian women. One world stage. A nation beaming with pride. At just 19, Divya Deshmukh achieved an extraordinary feat by becoming the first Indian woman to win the FIDE Chess World Cup. Across the board, Koneru Humpy, a legend in her own right, made this all-India final a truly historic event,” said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
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