FIDE World Cup Shakes Up 2026 Women's Candidates Race, Only 3 Spot Left
The final three spots at 2026 Women's Candidates will be decided across Grand Swiss and FIDE Women's Events 2024–25 series.
The outcome of the 2025 Women's World Cup has significantly influenced the landscape for the 2026 Women's Candidates tournament.
The competition for the eight spots in the 2026 Women's Candidates is intensifying. Zhu Jiner and Alexandra Goryachkina secured two positions through the Women's Grand Prix, finishing as winner and runner-up respectively. Three additional spots were decided at the recently concluded Women's World Cup in Batumi, Georgia.
Nineteen-year-old Indian talent Divya Deshmukh achieved a remarkable hat-trick in Batumi. Her 1.5–0.5 tiebreak victory over former World No. 2 Humpy Koneru not only earned her the title but also a Grandmaster norm – automatically awarded to the winner – and a spot in the 2026 Candidates, bringing her one step closer to a shot at the world title.
Humpy Koneru and former Women's World Champion Tan Zhongyi also qualified, finishing second and third respectively.
How To Qualify For 2026 Women's Candidates?
With five out of eight places in the Candidates already determined, players have just two more opportunities – the Grand Swiss in September (offering two qualifying spots) and winning the FIDE Women's Events 2024-25 series.
While the Grand Swiss is traditionally the strongest open tournament on the calendar, filtering the elite through its qualification standards, the FIDE Women's Events series operates on a cumulative points system.
What Are The Stadnings For 2024–25 FIDE Women's Events?
The World Cup in Batumi reshuffled the standings in the 2024–25 FIDE Women's Events series. Humpy Koneru now leads comfortably with 224 Ranking Points, more than 70 ahead of Tan Zhongyi in second.
The current top five players in the standings are already qualified for the Candidates. World Champion Ju Wenjun holds sixth place (down from first, which she previously held), as she did not participate in the Women's World Cup. As the defending World Champion, Ju does not need to compete in the Candidates.
The top player still vying for a spot through the series is Anna Muzychuk, currently holding 80 Ranking Points. Despite a strong performance and winning the final leg of the Women's Grand Prix, she ultimately fell short of qualifying through that route.
Trailing Muzychuk are three contenders with between 54.5 and 62 points. Lei Tingjie, winner of the previous (2022–23) Candidates and an unsuccessful title challenger, currently sits eighth with 62 points. Close behind her are veterans Harika Dronavalli (58.5) and Kateryna Lagno (54.5), both within striking distance.
The final three spots in the Candidates will be decided across three key events. Two places will go to the winner and runner-up of the Grand Swiss in September. The last spot will be awarded to the winner of the FIDE Women's Events 2024–25 series, based on Ranking Points earned in the Grand Swiss, the World Rapid, and the World Blitz.
First Published:
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
India has made its mark, need to continue winning run to dominate world chess: GM Divya
1 2 Nagpur: FIDE Women's World Cup winner and India's newest Grandmaster, Divya Deshmukh, said that while Indian players have firmly established themselves on the global chess stage, the next goal must be complete dominance. "We've made our mark, now we must win every tournament and ensure India becomes the top chess nation in the world," she said at a grand felicitation event organised by the state govt in Nagpur on Saturday. Divya, who was visibly moved by the support, recalled how overwhelmed she felt when she first met Viswanathan Anand in 2017 during a tournament. "Back then, I never imagined that one day I'd come back to Nagpur after such a big win and receive so much love. It's a dream come true," she said. Moving ahead, she said that the Candidates tournament, set to take place in 2026, is her next big aim. "I want to win it and become the World Champion," she said. Speaking on India's growing chess culture, Divya mentioned players like D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi and R Praggnanandhaa, who have helped raise India's profile internationally. "But we need to keep up the momentum. There's so much hidden talent in this country that needs to be identified and given the right platform," she added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Access all TV channels anywhere, anytime Techno Mag Learn More Undo Divya shared that she admires World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen as her favourite chess player, and tennis legend Novak Djokovic as her sports idol. She also credits yoga and meditation for helping her manage the stress and pressure of high-level competition. "Spirituality has helped me stay focused and calm," she shared. Talking about her journey, Divya revealed that she began playing chess at the age of five. "My mom wanted me to play a sport but was worried I might get physically hurt. My sister used to play badminton at an academy in Shankar Nagar. The same building also housed a chess academy. That's how it began," she said. By age six, she was playing professionally, and by seven, she had won her first national tournament. "It meant sacrificing a lot — no TV, fewer friends, a very different social life. But when I look back now, it was all worth it," she said. "Moments like these make the temporary distractions feel irrelevant," Divya added. She recalled that during her FIDE World Cup games, her parents weren't allowed inside to cheer, but she felt the support of 1.3 billion Indians. "That thought alone gave me strength," she said. "There's always room for improvement, but this win has taught me about the true meaning of success." Despite her professional chess commitments, Divya stressed the importance of education. "Knowledge is power. I don't want to give up my studies even as I pursue chess at the highest level," she said. She hopes her victory will bring greater attention to the game, so more children and parents consider chess as a serious option. "This moment is very special for me," Divya said. "If my win inspires even one person to pick up the chessboard, I'll feel fulfilled." Her father, Dr Jitendra Deshmukh, said, "Kids will be kids. Sometimes they win, sometimes they lose — as parents, we just need to be there for them, no matter what." Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Indian Express
11 hours ago
- Indian Express
Goofy and gritty, how Divya Deshmukh became India's golden girl
A long-lost clip of a Divya Deshmukh interview from seven years ago was excavated and made popular again by YouTube's algorithm over the last few days. 'This 12-year-old is the future of Indian women's chess' declares the video's headline like a soothsayer gone glassy-eyed staring into a crystal ball. In the video, Deshmukh is interviewed by ChessBase India, where she is asked if she has won any world championships yet. With the hint of a smile, Deshmukh starts rattling off her titles. A World and Asian Champion in the under-10 and under-12 age groups. National champion in under-7, under-9, and under-11. Occasionally while listing her achievements, she pauses, as if giving her mind time to catch its breath. 'That's enough, I think,' she says. The 12-year-old is then asked about her fighting skills on the chessboard, how she is not afraid of any opponent and told that if it's a high-stakes game, she inevitably ends up winning it. 'That may be true,' she says. Throughout a heady July, Deshmukh, now 19, summoned those fighting skills and faced off against veritable giants of the sport — World No 6 Zhu Jiner, veteran grandmaster Harika Dronavalli, former women's world champion Tan Zhongyi and, finally, Indian chess' original woman prodigy, Koneru Humpy — on her way to winning the FIDE Women's World Cup title. This, despite starting the event as only the 15th-best-rated player in the field. In winning the World Cup, she also became India's fourth woman to become a grandmaster. 'I think the younger me knew what she was talking about,' Deshmukh told FIDE, the international chess governing body, in an interview after winning the World Cup title when reminded about the interview from seven years ago. 'If you ask me that question today (about her fighting skills and how she is not afraid of any opponent), I would probably repeat my answer,' she said. That seven-year-old prophecy announced by the clickbaity headline of a YouTube video came true in Georgia, a country that has produced some of the world's earliest trailblazers of women's chess, like Nona Gaprindashvili and Maia Chiburdanidze. 'My turn,' she wrote on Instagram in a caption of a photo posing with the trophy. A post shared by Divya Deshmukh (@divyachess) In the last 13 months, the girl from Nagpur has become a world junior champion, helped the Indian women's team win the Chess Olympiad gold medal and now finally claimed a World Cup gold, while also becoming a grandmaster. What was remarkable about Deshmukh becoming a grandmaster was that, unlike the 87 Indians before her, she earned the title in a single tournament. In fact, before the World Cup started, Deshmukh hadn't earned any of the three norms a player needs to become a grandmaster. She came to Batumi hoping to collect one norm. 'My goals changed today,' she said in the FIDE interview. 'Time to find new goals.' In the past, some grandmasters have earned their three norms in the span of months fuelled by a hot streak of form. Others have laboured for years to collect the norms. By winning the title, she bypassed that conventional route entirely. Deshmukh rarely does conventional. For example, she does not shirk away from playing in mixed tournaments — events where there are male and female players on the same battlefield. This year itself, she's played in two such tournaments — Tata Steel Challengers at Wijk aan Zee and Prague Challengers. Other women players occasionally play in a mixed event, but it's rare. At Wijk aan Zee at the start of the year, Deshmukh was accompanied by three more women in the field, including Vaishali. There, Deshmukh beat a strong male GM from Turkey, Ediz Gurel (rated 2624 at the time while Deshmukh was 2490). At Prague, she was the only woman in the 10-player field where she beat a grandmaster (Stamatis Kourkoulos-Arditis). Both events were humbling experiences for her: she lost eight out of 13 games at Wijk and had five defeats in nine games at Prague. 'These tournaments, all the struggles and being beaten left to right, I think that has definitely helped me to become what I am,' she said before adding: 'Playing in these events, there's a lot less pressure. I enjoy those tournaments more. They help me realise what my weaknesses are. When you play against opponents that are considerably stronger than you, you learn so much.' Women's chess is ruled by a ruthless, give-no-quarter ethos. That's why, unlike male players, you almost never see two women players sit and discuss the game to pick their opponent's mind once the match ends. Handshakes before games are actually just two sets of fingers making bare-minimum contact with the coiled tension of boxers touching gloves before a prizefight. There's no eye contact between opponents whatsoever. In this mix enters the endearingly goofy Deshmukh. And stands out. She'll apologise to the inanimate objects like the chess pieces and the match clock after accidentally knocking them over. She'll occasionally flash a wide smile at the camera even if there are just seconds left before the start of a crucial game, which is usually that time when the players are in their meditative zones, their faces as poker-faced as the wooden pieces on the board they're about to command into battle. Deshmukh is — there is no better word to describe it — chill, in a sport where many players can come across as deathly serious, impassive, restrained and bashful. She's so quick-witted and has such charisma in interviews that she's among those rare athletes who can be — and has been — asked about her fashion sense at chess games besides being asked borderline silly questions about why she brought a banana with her to every single game at the FIDE World Cup and never once took a bite of it. Her bubbly, extroverted personality is the perfect foil for the assassin that she is on the chessboard. Talk to anyone in the sport who has known her, and they will praise her aggression on the board. 'If you look at the approach she played with Humpy, it was so aggressive. She tried to dominate Humpy in a way,' pointed out Kushager Krishnater, who despite being in Team Humpy as a second (an aide) since 2022, could not help but marvel at Deshmukh's ambition. 'If you look at Game 1 and Game 2 of the World Cup final, Divya was the one who was pressing in very slow positions even when there was no chance of a result. Even in the first game of the tie-break (after the two classical games ended in draws), she did that. You don't do it against somebody who is stronger than you! A player does this when they think that their opponent is weaker than you. If you look at Divya's reaction after the first classical game against Humpy ended in a draw, she was visibly a bit angry with herself. That is not something you fake. So to believe that you are better than one of the best chess players in the world and that you could try and dominate her goes on to show how confident she is and how much ambition she has.' Here's just a little slice of what transpired in the final between Deshmukh and Humpy. There was a moment when five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand was on commentary and in the middle game, he said that a draw was coming. Then, when both players continued extending the game, trying to squeeze water out of stone, Anand got a little irritated, remarking: 'For some reason instead of repeating (the moves and ending the game as a draw) they keep changing. Why is Divya changing moves? Just repeat! I don't know what they want. Do they really believe they can do something here, because I don't even see how to play for a win if you want to.' Before the final, Anand had explained to The Indian Express how Deshmukh 'leaned towards playing aggressive chess'. Coach RB Ramesh, who has shaped the careers of players like Praggnanandhaa and Vaishali and also trained Deshmukh in her formative years, told The Indian Express: 'Divya is the most confident girl from the lot. As a young girl too she didn't have that negative side to her: the one that tends to create self-doubt. That inner chatter that wrecks things, fortunately, was missing in her.' Grandmaster Abhijit Kunte, who has worked extensively with Deshmukh, added: 'It never looked as if she's playing the finals or semi-finals or quarter-finals for the first time. She always showed that she was eager to win the match.' Kunte was the captain of the Indian women's team at the Chess Olympiad last year where they claimed the first-ever team gold in the most prestigious team event in the sport. Deshmukh claimed an individual gold too. Kunte said that before the tournament began, he had told the teenager that since she was in great form, she would have to play in all 11 rounds for India, while others were being substituted. Deshmukh agreed without a moment's pause. 'She has very strong psychology. Many players, when they're under pressure, they break. Some players don't convert their advantage. But she's not like that. When she's under pressure, she will make sure that she defends very tenuously,' Kunte said. 'At the same time, when she feels she is better, she will keep the advantage with her. She's very clever that way when she's playing chess.' In an interview with The Indian Express in 2023 after winning the title at the Tata Steel Chess India's rapid tournament in Kolkata, Deshmukh had mentioned that while she is inspired by many players like Humpy and Anand, she doesn't really have any 'role models'. She also admitted that she wasn't certain she wanted to pursue chess full-time and that she was 'still exploring' if she wanted to focus full-time on chess or on further studies. 'What stood out about Divya was her ability to strike a balance between academics and chess,' Anju Bhutani, former principal and current academic co-ordinator with the management at Bhavan's Bhagwandas Purohit Vidya Mandir where Deshmukh studied told The Indian Express. 'Even while competing in tournaments, she never neglected her studies. She did well in her exams, submitted her assignments on time, and always remained grounded despite winning big titles. Each time she returned after a win, she would quietly come and stand outside my cabin with her trophy. She didn't speak much, but she would come in, give a quick hug and click a picture together.' Now, as chess seems to have taken over, Deshmukh said she admires the current world no 1 from China Hou Yifan, who has won the women's world championship multiple times. Why? Because Hou won everything there was on offer in chess, then branched out into academics, earning a master's degree at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar and then started working at Shenzhen University. While most grandmasters from India her age like world champion Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa started focussing solely on chess from a very early age, Deshmukh still harbours hope that one day the world of academics will open a portal into a different universe for her. Since the pandemic, the tectonic plates under chess have shifted as the sport has experienced tremors of an Indian earthquake. On the men's side, world champion Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi are flagbearers of this golden generation, a trio capable of beating the world's best. With Gukesh already winning the world championship, there is hope that his opponent next year could be an Indian as well. On the women's side, this India vs India battle for the top prize — a true indicator of dominance in a sport — has already come true when Humpy played Deshmukh at the World Cup. The sight of two Indian women fighting for the title, while two Chinese players fought for the third place spot could be a turn-of-the-page moment for women's chess, which has so far been dominated by players from Russia and China. At the forefront of this is the 19-year-old once proclaimed the 'future of Indian chess'. That future is here. As Deshmukh wrote in her two-word mission statement on Instagram, it's now her turn. (With inputs from Ankita Deshkar) Amit Kamath is Assistant Editor at The Indian Express and is based in Mumbai. ... Read More
United News of India
14 hours ago
- United News of India
Maha Govt felicitates Chess Grandmaster Divya Deshmukh in Nagpur
Nagpur, Aug 2 (UNI) Grandmaster Divya Deshmukh, who created history as the first Indian woman to win the 2025 FIDE Women's World Cup, was felicitated today in Nagpur. The event was graced by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who personally felicitated the young chess champion for her remarkable achievement on the global stage. On this occasion, the Maharashtra government announced a cash prize of Rs 3 crore to honor Divya's stellar performance and to encourage her continued success in international chess. Fadnavis lauded Divya's achievement, calling it a moment of pride not only for Maharashtra but for the entire nation and assured the government's continued support to young talents who bring global recognition to India. Responding to the felicitation ," Divya said This is a very special moment for me. I am so happy that I could be a little bit part of children's motivation and their inspiration. I am feeling very happy and expressed her thankfulness towards the Maharashtra government and its Chess Association for their support. Ministers Manikrao Kokate, Adv Ashish Jaiswal, MLA Krishna Khopde, MLC Dr Parinay Fuke, and other prominant leaders and eminent dignitaries were present on the occasion. UNI PK GNK
