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First Post
a day ago
- Sport
- First Post
FIDE Women's Chess World Cup 2025: How Koneru Humpy, R Vaishali and other Indians have fared so far
Ahead of the fourth round of the 2025 Women's Chess World Cup, we take a look at how all the Indians in action have fared so far in the tournament, including the ones knocked out in the third round and earlier. read more Koneru Humpy and R Vaishali are among the Indians still alive in the 2025 FIDE Women's World Cup in Batumi, Georgia. Image credit: FIDE The third edition of the FIDE Women's World Cup is halfway through with the fourth round of the competition set to get underway from Wednesday. The 107-player tournament got underway on 6 July and has been running non-stop until Tuesday, the first 'Free Day' in the itinerary. And out of the 16 players who will be in action in the fourth round that starts on Wednesday, four are Indians. Grandmasters Koneru Humpy, Harika Dronavalli, R Vaishali and International Master Divya Deshmukh have kept the tricolour flying high so far in Batumi, Georgia, and each of them will be hopeful of going the distance in the tournament in order to qualify for next year's Candidates Tournament. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The top three finishers in the ongoing World Cup, after all, will book their place in the eight-player tournament next year. And with four Indians still in the competition, there's hope that at least a couple of them book their places via the World Cup route, if not through other methods. Ahead of the fourth round of the 2025 Women's Chess World Cup, we take a look at how all the Indians in action have fared so far in the tournament, including the ones knocked out in the third round and earlier: Still in contention: Koneru Humpy, Harika Dronavalli, R Vaishali and Divya Deshmukh Each of the four Indians still in the competition were among the top 21 seeds who had received a first-round bye and went straight into the second round. Vaishali was brought in as a replacement for Kazakhstan's Bibisara Assaubayeva after the latter withdrew from the tournament, and started her campaign with a 2-0 victory over Canada's Maili-Jade Ouellet before facing stiffer competition from USA's Carissa Yip, who held her to four consecutive draws before the 24-year-old prevailed in the tie-breaks. 🇮🇳 GM Vaishali Rameshbabu (2478) beats 🇺🇸 IM Carissa Yip (2453) and advances to Round 4! Next opponent: 🇰🇿 IM Meruert Kamalidenova#FIDEWorldCup — International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) July 14, 2025 Harika, meanwhile, started her campaign with a victory over PV Nandhidhaa in an all-Indian clash – beating her in the second game after the first one ended in a draw. And like Vaishali, Harika played out four consecutive stalemates in her third-round meeting, with Greece's Stavroula Tsolakidou, before advancing with back-to-back wins in the 10+10 rapid games. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Humpy, the top-seeded Indian in the tournament at fourth, and Divya have had relatively simpler routes to the fourth round, winning both of their matches so far by 1.5-0.5 scorelines and not playing a single tie-break game so far. Reigning women's rapid world champion Humpy defeated Uzbekistan's Afruza Khamdamova in the second round followed by Klaudia Kulon in the third. Divya, on the other hand, has defeated Georgia's Kesaria Mgeladze and Serbia's Teodora Injac in the second and third round respectively. Eliminated: Vantika Agrawal, PV Nandhidhaa, Priyanka K, Priya Rout and Kiran Manisha Mohanty Vantika's performance has been one of the highlights of the tournament so far, even if she bowed out with a 3.5-2.5 defeat against seventh-seeded Russian GM Kateryna Lagno in the third round. The 23-year-old International Master, after all, had stunned former world champion Anna Ushenina 4.5-3.5 in the second round in a major upset, beating the Ukrainian in the opening Classical game and eventually prevailing in the tie-breaks after her opponent fought back. Vantika had earlier opened her campaign with a 1.5-0.5 victory over Turkmenistan's Lala Shohradova. The trio of Nandidhaa, Priyanka and Priya bowed out in the second round – Nandidhaa losing to compatriot Harika and Priyanka and Priya losing against Kulon and Alexandra Kosteniuk respectively. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Kiran was the only Indian to bow out in the first round after she lost to China's Song Yuxin 1.5-0.5.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Chess World Cup: Koneru Humpy, Divya Deshmukh cruise into round of 16
Koneru Humpy (FIDE Photo) In the FIDE Women's World Cup, India's chess stars Divya Deshmukh and Koneru Humpy, the nation's first female GM, have advanced to the last-16 stage through different paths. Divya secured her spot with a draw against Serbia's Teodora Injac, while Humpy earned her place by defeating Poland's Kulon Klaudia. Poll Who do you think has the best chance of winning the FIDE Women's World Cup? Koneru Humpy Divya Deshmukh D. Harika Vantika Agrawal Three other Indian players, D Harika, Vantika Agrawal, and R. Vaishali, still have chances to qualify for the last-16, depending on their tiebreaker performances. Harika remains in contention after two consecutive draws with Greece's Tsolakidou Stavroula. Vantika Agrawal's celebration was cut short when she lost her return game against Russia's Kateryna Lagno, levelling the score after her first-round victory. All three players - Vantika, Harika, and Vaishali - now face challenging tie-break games to secure their spots in the round of 16. The tournament offers substantial prize money of USD 691,250, with the winner receiving USD 50,000. Additionally, the tournament serves as a qualification pathway for the upcoming Candidates tournament, with the top three players earning spots to compete for a chance to challenge the current women's world champion, Ju Wenjun. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Redefine Your Future with a Top Online MBA SRM Online Enquire Now Undo Complete results after Round 2 games: Antoaneta Stefanova (Bul) lost to Lei Tingjie (Chn) 0-2; Zhu Jiner (Chn) beat Aleksandra Maltsveskaya (Pol) 2-0; Irina Bulmaga (Rou) lost to Tan Zhongyi (Chn) 0.5-2.5; Koneru Humpy (Ind) beat Kulon Klaudia (Pol) 1.5-0.5; Anna Muzychuk (Ukr) drew with Yixing Song (Chn) 1-1 goes to tie-break; Vantika Agrawal lost to Kateryna Lagno (Fid) 1-1 goes to tie-break; Nana Dzagnidze (Geo) lost to Valentina Gunina (Fid) 1-1 goes to tie-break; Bella Khotenashvili (Geo) lost to Mariya Muzychuk (Ukr) 0-2; D. Harika (Ind) drew with Tsolakidou Stavroula (Gre); Carissa Yip (USA) drew with R Vaishali (Ind) 1-1 goes to tiebreak; Polina Shuvalova (Fid) lost to Lela Javakhashvili (Geo) 0.5-1.5; Teodora Injac (Srb) lost to Divya Deshmukh (Ind) 0.5-1,5; Kaliakhmet Elnaz (Kaz) lost to Umida Polonova (Uzb) 0.5-1.5-0.5; Meri Arabidze (Geo) drew with Alexandra Kosteniuk (Sui) 1-1 goes to tiebreak; Osmak Yuliia (Ukr) beat Lu Miaoyi (Chn) 1.5-0,5; Kamalidenova Meruert (Kaz) beat Anna Shukhman (FID) 1,5-0.5. For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Divya Deshmukh: ‘Mind kept thinking ambitious (moves)… and I was like no, we don't want that today, chill'
IM Divya Deshmukh made it to the fourth round of the ongoing FIDE Women's World Cup in Batumi, Georgia after defeating Serbia's Teodora Injac. But not before she had to 'negotiate' with her mind. Having won the first game with black pieces on Saturday, Divya just needed a draw on Sunday with colours reversed to secure a spot in the next round. But, as Divya recounted after Sunday's game, getting a draw was harder than getting a win in the first game. 'Today actually was tougher than yesterday because I absolutely just wanted to draw and qualify. But my mind couldn't search for ways how to make a draw. All I kept thinking was ambitious (play) and then I was like 'no, we don't want that today,'' Divya told FIDE in a hilarious interview. Besides Divya, Koneru Humpy also made it through to the 4th round while Harika Dronavalli (vs Greece's Stavroula Tsolakidou), Vantika Agrawal (vs Kateryna Lagno) and Vaishali Rameshbabu (vs USA's Carissa Yip) will fight it out in the tiebreaks today after their two classical games could not yield a winner. Divya said that the last FIDE Women's World Cup was very important for her as it had given her a glimpse of what top-level chess looks like. Asked what that level looks like, Divya said: 'It's very stressful, but I wouldn't be anywhere else.' Divya did not have a bye in the first round, unlike other strong players. She admitted to being a bit nervous before the start of the tournament. 'I was a bit nervous before the first round because I hadn't played a super serious tournament since like Grand Prix. And after that, I played rapid, blitz, and open tournaments. So, I kind of lost my rhythm. But after the first game, I was like, 'Oh, okay. I still got it',' Divya said with a grin. Divya also said that she was happy winning all the games in classical format itself rather than needing tiebreaks (playoffs) to decide the winner. 'I hope I don't go there (in tiebreaks). I hope I just win or else, you know, playoffs are nerve-wracking. They they just kill you,' Divya smiled. She then said that she sometimes skips her prep to watch the other players fighting it out in the rapid and blitz tiebreaks. The FIDE World Cup sees head-to-head knockout battles across two games between two players in classical format with each player playing with white pieces once. If the two games cannot determine a winner, players play best-of-two-game tiebreaks. In the tiebreaks, players first play two games in the 15 minutes (+10 seconds increment per move, popularly called 15+10) format. If that also cannot separate the two players, from this point on, the time gets reduced at each two-game interval unless there's a winner. So, if after the 15+10 games, the scores are still level, players play two more games with 10 minutes (+10 seconds increment per move, called 10+10). Then the time trickles down to five minutes + three seconds (5+3). After this point, if players are still deadlocked, the game enters chess' equivalent of a sudden death: a winner-takes-all single game of three minutes + 2 seconds. This 3+2 game will be played until there's a winner.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Women's World Cup: Koneru Humpy, Divya Deshmukh seal pre-quarter berths
Konery Humpy India No. 1 Koneru Humpy and reigning world junior champion Divya Deshmukh recorded victories in contrasting fashion to confirm their last-16 berths in the FIDE Women's World Cup in Batumi on Sunday. While Humpy registered a crushing win with black pieces against Polish IM Klaudia Kulon to win 1.5-0.5, Divya drew her second classical game to defeat Teodora Injac of Serbia 1.5-0.5. R Vaishali, D Harika and Vantika Agrawal, the other Indian players in the fray, drew both their classical games to enter the tiebreak rounds on Monday. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! A day after world No. 5 Humpy was held by the lowerrated Klaudia, the India No. 1 secured a 44-move win while defending with black. On Klaudia's King's Pawn opening, Humpy chose the Giuoco Piano Game. In the mid-game, Humpy laid a trap with her bishops, and Klaudia's position became a bit shaky. The 38-year-old Humpy converted the advantage by lining up her pieces and the Indian GM was a rook up by the 40th move. With an extra piece, Humpy prevailed over Klaudia four moves later. Poll Who do you think had the most impressive victory in the FIDE Women's World Cup? Koneru Humpy Divya Deshmukh R Vaishali Vantika Agrawal Earlier, Divya became the first Indian to qualify for the fourth round when she played out a quick 30-move draw with Teodora. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo On the King's Pawn opening of Teodora, Divya chose the Alapin Sicilian defence as the Rook-Bishop and Knight equal ended. On Saturday, Divya had taken the decisive advantage by winning the first classical game while defending with black. Divya said, 'Today (Sunday) was tougher than yesterday (Saturday) because I absolutely just wanted a draw to qualify. But my mind could not search for ways on how to make a draw.' Harika played out her second successive draw with Greek IM Stavroula Tsolakidou, while Vantika suffered a 43-move defeat to higherranked Ukrainian GM Kateryna Lagno with black pieces to be 1-1 (on Saturday, Vantika had surprised Lagno). Vaishali was the last to finish her game and produced a draw with American IM Carissa Yip in 48 moves. On Monday, Harika, Vantika and Vaishali will try their luck in the tie-break rounds to be played in the rapid and blitz formats. For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here . Catch Manika Batra's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 3. Watch Here!
Time of India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Humpy, Divya confirm last 16 chess WC berths; Vaishali, Vantika and Harika to play tie break
1 2 3 4 Nagpur: India No.1 Koneru Humpy and reigning world junior champion Divya Deshmukh registered victories in contrasting fashion to confirm their last 16 berths in the FIDE Women's World Cup in Batumi, Georgia, on Sunday. While Humpy registered a crushing win with her black pieces against Polish IM Khaudia Kulon, Divya drew her second classical game to defeat Teodora Injac of Serbia 1.5-0.5. Both Humpy and Divya qualified for the fourth round of the top 16 players. The other three Indian players in the fray, including Vaishali Rameshbabu, D Harika, and Vantika Agrawal, drew both their classical games to enter the tie-break rounds. A day after world No.5 Humpy was held to a draw by lower-rated Khaudia, the India No.1 registered a thumping 44-move win while defending with her black pieces. On Khaudia's King's Pawn opening, Humpy chose the Giuoco Piano Game. In the mid-game, Humpy laid a trap with her bishops, and Khaudia's position became a bit shaky. Humpy converted the advantage by lining up her pieces. No sooner than she became a rook up in the 40th move, the India GM took control of the proceedings. With an extra piece, Humpy prevailed over Khaudia in the next four moves. Divya became the first Indian to qualify for the fourth round when she played out a quick 30-move draw with Teodora. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo On the King's Pawn opening of Teodora, Divya chose the Alapin Sicilian defense as the Rook-Bishop and Knight equal ended after both split the points. On Saturday, Divya took the decisive advantage by winning the first classical game while defending with her black pieces in 39 moves. Divya said, "Today was tougher than yesterday because I absolutely just wanted a draw to qualify, but my mind couldn't search for ways how to make a draw." In the fourth round, Divya will face World No.6 and 2547 Elo Chinese GM Zhu Jiner. Among the other Indians, Harika played out a second successive draw with Greek IM Stavroula Tsolakidou, while Vantika Agrawal suffered a 43-move defeat against higher-ranked Ukrainian GM Kateryna Lagno with her black pieces. On Saturday, Vantika surprised Lagno to end the two-round classical format at par with a point each. Vaishali was the last to finish her game. She drew with American IM Carissa Yip in 48 moves. On Monday, Harika, Vantika, and Vaishali will try their luck in the tie-break rounds to be played in the rapid and blitz formats.
