Can teenager Divya Deshmukh's enthusiasm get the better of Koneru Humpy's vast experience?
India, rising on Divya Deshmukh's enthusiasm and Koneru Humpy's composed approach, breached the great Chinese wall to set up a dream finale in the FIDE Women's World Cup in Batumi, Georgia, which begins on Saturday.
It is a battle of generations — between 38-year-old Humpy who is ranked No. 6 in the world, and 19-year-old Divya, ranked No. 18. Humpy is India No. 1 and Divya No. 4.
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When Humpy became the country's first woman to get the GM title, Divya was not born. When Humpy lost in the Women's World Chess Cham -pionship semifinals in 2010, Divya had just started playing chess as a five-year-old. The mentor-like Humpy and her admirer Divya will play two classical games — on Saturday and Sunday.
If they remain at par, then the rapid and blitz tie -breaks will be implement -ed, and the seven-round, 27-day World Cup will conclude on Monday with the Cup al -ready in India's grip. After winning the dramatic semifinal on Thursday, Humpy, shared her dream in her Insta -gram post. She wrote: 'The tricolour flies high again. Into the finals we go — for India, for history, for the dream. No mat -ter how the finale goes, the trophy is coming home.
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For over two decades, Humpy has been the face of Indian women's chess, while Divya has earned the tag of India's fast-rising chess star.
In 2024, the Indian men chess masters took the global chess stage by storm. Now, the women's World Cup final face-off is an indication that Indian players are redefining the global chess landscape. On their way to breach the Chinese defence, both Divya and Humpy suffered just one defeat in the World Cup.
Di -vya lost a classical contest, and Humpy suffered a defeat in the rapid format.
While Divya (Elo 2463) played a total of 14 games, she won seven, drew six, and lost her classical contest against second-seeded Zhu Jiner. In contrast, Humpy (Elo 2543) played a total of 18 games in 23 days. She won seven games, drew 10, and lost her rapid battle against top seed Tan Zhongyi. Like many chess enthusi -asts, India's experienced players are looking forward to the DivyaHumpy final.
In a chat with TOI, former national champion Pravin Thipsay said, 'Humpy's a po -sitional genius, known for her classical style. She has broken records, including Judit Pol -gar's long-standing mark. While she's been a world rapid champion twice and runner-up in blitz, the classical world title has eluded her, something even greats like Hou Yifan have found surprising.'
He added, 'Humpy brings to the table a mix of experi -ence, accuracy and strategic depth.
She's known for her clarity and judgment. While she occasionally shows vul -nerability on the kingside in e4-e5 openings, her recent semifinal game showed she's learning and adapting, having refined her approach.'
On Divya, Thipsay said, 'Divya, on the other hand, is in peak form. She's has dis -played exceptional compo -sure under time pressure. She's wise beyond her years in time management too, never risking moves with less than five seconds on the clock to avoid technical slip-ups.'
On the difference between the two, he said, 'Tactically aggressive and better prepared in openings than Humpy, Divya has the fresh -ness, energy and mental resilience of youth.
However, at 19, she lacks the vast com -petitive experience of 38-year-old Humpy.'
Thipsay also analysed the technical aspect of the final.
'One key factor is Humpy's unique approach to openings. She rarely follows deep prepa -ration and prefers originality, often deviating by move 7 or 8. This could disrupt Divya's opening prep. Humpy doesn't always seek the 'best move' by theory but relies on long-term planning — a quality that makes her games unpredictable and deeply creative,' he said.
'In essence, this final is not just a match but a contrast of styles and generations: the class and wisdom of Humpy versus the form, energy, and ambition of Divya.'
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