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Koneru Humpy vs Divya Deshmukh: All you need to know about Chess World Cup final

Koneru Humpy vs Divya Deshmukh: All you need to know about Chess World Cup final

India Today5 days ago
History will be made on Saturday, 26 July, as the final of the FIDE Women's World Cup 2025 kicks off with an all-Indian showdown between Divya Deshmukh and Koneru Humpy. This marks the first time ever that two Indian players will face each other in the final of the prestigious event.Following a rest day on Friday, 25 July, the final match will feature two Classical games, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday (26–27 July). If the scores are tied, tiebreaks will be held on Monday, 28 July.advertisementDeshmukh secured her spot by defeating former world champion Zhongyi Tan of China in the semifinals with a powerful performance in Game 2.
Humpy, one of India's most decorated chess players, displayed nerves of steel throughout the knockout stages. She edged out China's Tingjie Lei in a dramatic tiebreaker on Thursday after a 3-3 deadlock, dominating the blitz segment to seal her place in the final.Also Read: India to host Chess World Cup 2025 in October-NovemberEarlier, Humpy was taken to tie-breaks in the pre-quarterfinals by Switzerland's Alexandra Kosteniuk, herself a former world champion. She then delivered a clinical performance against Yuxin Song, setting the stage for what was arguably her finest moment—outplaying top seed Lei in the five-minute games.With her wealth of experience and recent momentum, Koneru Humpy enters the final as the favourite. But 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh has proven she can take down giants, and will be looking to script a fairytale finish to her campaign.Time Control for Classical games:Each player has 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the remainder of the game. A 30-second increment per move begins from move one.Tiebreak Format:Two rapid games: 10 minutes + 10-second increment per moveIf still tied: Two games of 5 minutes + 3-second incrementIf still tied: Two blitz games of 3 minutes + 2-second incrementIf still tied: Additional 3+2 blitz games will be played until a winner is determinedWhat's the prize money for the Chess World Cup final?Winner: USD 50,000 (approx. Rs 43.23 lakh)Runner-up: USD 35,000 (approx. Rs 30.26 lakh)Where to watch the Chess World Cup final in India?There is no live telecast of the Chess World Cup final. Live Streaming of the match will be available on the FIDE YouTube Channel.When to watch the Chess World Cup final in India?The match will start at 4:30 PM IST, 7 AM Eastern Time.- Ends
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India dreams live on as ex-goalie finds his goal as coach
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  • Time of India

India dreams live on as ex-goalie finds his goal as coach

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Divya Deshmukh credits late coach, family after stunning win over Humpy
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All Hail The Queen! Divya Gets A Royal Homecoming
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Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

All Hail The Queen! Divya Gets A Royal Homecoming

Nagpur: Orange City erupted with scenes of jubilation and pride on Wednesday night as its chess queen Divya Deshmukh returned home after scripting history at the FIDE Women's Chess World Cup in Batumi, Georgia. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The 19-year-old Divya, who went to Batumi as an International Master (IM), came home as a Grandmaster — the third from the city after Raunak Sadhwani and Sankalp Gupta. In the final, Divya defeated India No.1 Koneru Humpy to win the World Cup and also secure a spot in the Candidates tournament. With a hat-trick of achievements in just 27 days, Divya made every Nagpurian feel proud and was deservingly accorded a rousing welcome at Nagpur International Airport on Wednesday night. Hundreds of school students, her classmates, friends, relatives, sports administrators, and fans gathered at the airport long before the arrival of her flight. Many held banners and placards bearing her name and achievements, while others played dhols and drums, ready to welcome the champion with unmatched enthusiasm. As Divya stepped out of the arrival gate, chants of 'Divya, Divya', and 'Nagpur ki shaan' filled the air. She was immediately surrounded by her fans, who showered her with rose petals and draped her in garlands. The young champion, who couldn't stop smiling from ear to ear at the love showered on her, appeared visibly moved by the thunderous welcome. Humbled by the love and admiration pouring in from every corner of the city, Divya thanked her city and her parents, who stood by her at all times, inspiring her to give it her all and never back down. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Massive banners with her image and congratulatory messages adorned the airport premises. Chants of 'Jai Hind!' rang out as her supporters marched alongside her. She was flanked by her proud family and several dignitaries, including MLC Parinay Fuke, who is also president of Maharashtra Chess Association, former mayor Dayashankar Tiwari, former MP Ajay Sancheti, former MLC Girish Vyas, and district sports officer Pallavi Dhatrak. As Divya met relatives near the exit gate, many embraced her with teary eyes, celebrating both the victory and the pride she brought to Nagpur. Divya's journey — from playing chess in small local competitions to becoming a World Cup winner — has now become an inspiration for thousands of young minds across the country. Her win not only marks a personal triumph but has firmly placed Nagpur on the global chess map. The state govt has announced a grand felicitation for the champion at the Suresh Bhat Hall on August 2, where chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union minister Nitin Gadkari, and other bigwigs of the state are expected.

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