Latest news with #FIDEWomen'sWorldCupFinal
News18
01-08-2025
- Sport
- News18
'Maybe It Was Destiny...': Divya Deshmukh Opens Up On Dual Achievement Following Batumi Success
When quizzed what she was more proud of, the World Cup title or the title of GM, Deshmukh opined that it was a special feeling to achieve both feats simultaneously. Teenage Indian sensation Divya Deshmukh enjoyed a double delight at the recently concluded FIDE Women's World Cup 2025 as he clinched the top spot, edging out compatriot Humpy Koneru in the championship battle to seal the title and also earn the title of Grandmaster as a result of her impeccable showing in Batumi. The 19-year-old Deshmukh returned to his hometown, Nagpur, to a hero's welcome with the Chess fraternity uniting to laud her incredible feat at such a tender age. When quizzed what she was more proud of, the World Cup title or the title of GM, Deshmukh opined that it was a special feeling to achieve both feats simultaneously. 'I think the Grandmaster title is something that would have come eventually, definitely come," she began. 'I don't know when, but it would have," she explained. 'So, can't choose," the genius from Nagpur said. 'Maybe it was destiny that I got both my titles in one shot and the fact that I did not have eve one norm before and now I am a Grandmaster is why I think it was meant to be," Deshmukh said. Deshmukh made chess history by defeating Humpy with a score of 2.5-1.5 in the tiebreaks of the FIDE Women's World Cup Final on Monday, making her the first-ever Indian champion of the prestigious tournament. Along with the coveted trophy, Deshmukh received $50,000 in prize money. More importantly, her win granted her the title of Grandmaster, making her India's 88th Grandmaster in chess history. Deshmukh now holds the Grandmaster title, joining the ranks of only four Indian women to achieve this status, including her opponent Humpy, Dronavalli Harika, and R Vaishali. Typically, becoming a Grandmaster requires winning three GM norms and achieving a Standard (Classical) FIDE rating of 2500 or higher. However, players can also earn this title by winning certain elite competitions, including the FIDE Women's World Cup. Deshmukh announced that she would take a break before competing in the Grand Swiss, scheduled to be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from September 2-16. view comments 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.
News18
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Divya Deshmukh Receives A Hero's Welcome Back In Nagpur After Historic World Cup Win: WATCH
Divya made history by becoming the first Indian champion of tthe FIDE Women's World Cup, defeating Koneru Humpy 2.5-1.5. She also became India's 88th Grandmaster. It was nothing short of a champion's celebration in Nagpur on Wednesday night, as the newly-crowned GM Divya Deshmukh made her way back home after her historic outing at the FIDE Women's World Cup. Divya etched her name into chess history, defeating fellow Indian compatriot Koneru Humpy with a score of 2.5-1.5 in the tiebreaks of the FIDE Women's World Cup Final to become the first-ever Indian champion of the esteemed tournament on Monday. Divya received a grand reception in Nagpur, with her relatives and fans arriving much in advance to receive her. 'My parents have played the biggest role in my career. Without them I would not have reached here. Credit to my family, my parents, my sister, and my first coach, Rahul Joshi sir. He always wanted me to become the Grandmaster, and this is for him," said Divya, about Joshi, who passed away in 2020 at just 40 years of age. 'My mother and father had a bigger role to play but definitely my whole family, my sister Arya Deshmukh, my grandmother, grandfather…I don't think whatever I will say will be enough (for my parents)." Divya received $50,000 as prize money on top of the coveted trophy. But, most importantly, with her win, she earned the nod to become a Grandmaster — thereby becoming India's 88th GM in chess history. She now also holds the title of Grandmaster, only the fourth Indian woman to do so, joining her opponent on the day, Humpy, Dronavalli Harika, and R Vaishali. Usually, becoming a GM requires a player to win three GM norms and achieve a Standard (Classical) FIDE rating of 2500 or above. However, players can also do it by winning certain elite competitions, including the FIDE Women's World Cup. An emotional Divya couldn't hold back her tears following her victory, as she reflected on her journey to becoming a GM. 'I need time to process it (win). I think it was fate, me getting the Grandmaster title this way, because before this (tournament) I didn't even have one (GM) norm, and now I am the Grandmaster," she said after the match. 'It definitely means a lot, but there's a lot more to achieve. So, hopefully, this is just the start." Elaborating on her future plans, Divya said she would take a break and then compete in the Grand Swiss, to be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan from September 2-16. 'I will take some rest this month and will play Grand Swiss next month." top videos View all With her win, Divya also secured a spot in next year's Candidates tournament, which will decide who will take on world champion Ju Wenjun of China in the Women's World Championship. (with PTI inputs) News18 Sports brings you the latest updates, live commentary, and highlights from cricket, football, tennis, badmintion, wwe and more. Catch breaking news, live scores, and in-depth coverage. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : Chess chess news divya deshmukh FIDE FIDE world cup view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: July 30, 2025, 23:27 IST News sports Divya Deshmukh Receives A Hero's Welcome Back In Nagpur After Historic World Cup Win: WATCH 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.
NDTV
28-07-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Divya Deshmukh "Will Inspire Several Youngsters": PM Narendra Modi, Amit Shah Laud Chess Sensation's World Cup Win
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his wishes to India's young chess star Divya Deshmukh for her sensational victory at the FIDE Women's World Cup against the veteran Koneru Humpy in the final. Divya, a 19-year-old rising sensation in the world of chess, became the first Indian woman to clinch the Chess World Cup after overwhelming Koneru on Monday evening in the final via tiebreaks. She became just the fourth Indian woman grandmaster and overall the 88th in the nation to clinch that title. PM Modi hailed the remarkable efforts of both players and believes Divya's victory will serve as an inspiration for the youngsters. "A historic final featuring two outstanding Indian chess players! 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. @DivyaDeshmukh05 @humpy_koneru," PM Modi wrote on X. A historic final featuring two outstanding Indian chess players! 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… — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 28, 2025 Union Home Minister Amit Shah also congratulated the chess sensation. Ecstasy for India! Congratulations to @DivyaDeshmukh05 on winning the FIDE Women's World Cup Final and achieving the marvellous feat of becoming a Grandmaster. Your tenacity and mindfulness have truly earned you this crown. Also, congratulations to @humpy_koneru on a remarkable… — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) July 28, 2025 President Droupadi Murmu also lavished praise on Divya and wrote on X, "My heartiest congratulations to Divya Deshmukh who has become the first Indian woman to win the FIDE Women's World Cup, that too, at a very young age of nineteen." My heartiest congratulations to Divya Deshmukh who has become the first Indian woman to win the FIDE Women's World Cup, that too, at a very young age of nineteen. Koneru Humpy being the runner up, both the finalists of the chess world championship were from India. This underlines… — President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 28, 2025 During the tense contest, a string of inaccuracies in the second rapid game contributed to Koneru's downfall. She found herself a pawn down in the rook endgame, which played out in Divya's favour. The veteran allowed the situation to sink in and resigned on the 75th move and fell short in a gripping final with a score of 2.5-1.5. Divya failed to capitalise on the two windows that Koneru left open for her with her inaccurate moves. However, on the third time, Koneru inflicted more damage on herself by capturing the f pawn on move 69, which changed the tide in Divya's favour towards the final moments of the contest. This time around, Divya made no mistake, played the right moves and forced Koneru to resign after six moves. Her eyes welled up with tears as she began to grasp the scale of her victory. She tried to compose herself, but soon became overwhelmed with emotions again after embracing her mother in a heartfelt moment.
News18
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Divya Deshmukh Crowned FIDE Women's World Cup Champion! Becomes First Indian To Achieve Historic Feat
Divya Deshmukh defeated Koneru Humpy in the tiebreaks of the FIDE Women's World Cup Final, becoming the first-ever Indian champion of the tournament. Divya Deshmukh etched her name into chess history, defeating fellow Indian compatriot Koneru Humpy with a score of 2.5-1.5 in the tiebreaks of the FIDE Women's World Cup Final to become the first-ever Indian champion of the esteemed tournament on Monday. Deshmukh will now receive $50,000 as their prize money on top of the coveted trophy. The Indian players, who were left tied at 1-1 each after the two classical games in the Final, entered the tiebreaks today to decide the ultimate winner. So, it all boiled down to two Rapid matches of 10 minutes with a 10-second increment after every move. Having won the toss the previous night, Divya once again got the luck of the draw, opting to start the tiebreaks with the white pieces in the first Rapid game. In Rapid Game 1, Divya played her natural game, attacking Humpy out of the gate and forcing the veteran to yet again burn the clock early. With no second time control in the tiebreaks, the pressure was on Humpy to yet again find the draw. The pressure ultimately forced Divya to make an error, who blundered and left her central pawn unguarded, opening the gates for Humpy to come in for the attack. Humpy tempted Divya to take a Queen Exchange, which was denied, and then, with the clock ticking, was forced to sacrifice her Queen in a last-ditch attempt to find the kill. But, as fate would have it, the duo ultimately decided on the inevitable draw, preparing to play for all glory in the second Rapid game. More of the same from the first Rapid game ensued in the second game as well, as Humpy was yet again pushed to her limits, as Divya forced the veteran to burn down her clock effectively. After 30 moves, Humpy, playing with just about a minute left on her clock (compared to Divya's six), found her form yet again under the pump, as a quick flurry of moves ensued amongst the two Indians, who were trying to pry the other's weakness. Divya found her break on move 40, as Humpy blundered with a pawn, allowing the youngster to activate her Queen and hunt for a win against the veteran. But, Humpy fought off the advancing Divya, pushing them to a rook endgame, with the 19-year-old holding an extra pawn. A final-minute blunder from Humpy gifted Divya the window to advance her pawn to potentially be promoted, putting the veteran in a world of trouble. Despite pushing the youngster to a muddy endgame, it was far too gone for Humpy, who ultimately resigned on move 75, gifting the title to Divya. How The Final Unfolded Both finalists already made history, becoming the first-ever Indians to qualify for the semifinals of the Women's World Cup, after which both players went on to schedule the first-ever All-Indian final at the event. Game 1 of the Final was a nail-biting draw, which saw Divya throw away her lead with the white pieces, allowing the veteran Humpy to fight her way back into the game and force the draw. Game 2 on Sunday saw the duo battle it out in yet another fascinating draw, where Humpy seemingly lost the advantage of starting with the white pieces, as the young buck Divya fought her way back to force the veteran to tiebreaks. And the rest, as they say, is history. view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India 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.
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First Post
27-07-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
How Divya missed out on going 1-0 up against Humpy in Game 1 of FIDE Women's World Cup Final
Grandmaster Koneru Humpy and International Master Divya Deshmukh played out a 41-move draw in Game 1 of the FIDE Women's World Cup Final in Batumi, Georgia on Saturday. Divya, however, could have seized the lead while playing with white pieces. read more The final round of games in the third edition of the FIDE Women's World Cup got underway in Batumi, Georgia on Saturday, with the all-Indian final between Grandmaster Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh and the all-Chinese third-place playoff between Lei Tingjie and Tan Zhongyi ending in a draw. With all four players collecting half-a-point each, both contests will remain wide open when the second Classical game gets underway less than 24 hours from now. Whether they end with a decisive result on Sunday itself or move into the tie-breaks on Monday, is something that only time will tell. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But before we turn our attention to Game 2, we revisit the opening duel between the two Indians, who have confirmed their place in next year's Candidates Tournament by virtue of being guaranteed a top-three finish in the ongoing tournament. Did Divya miss out on the chance to go 1-0 up against her experienced compatriot? Divya and Humpy played out a 41-move draw on Saturday with the former playing with white pieces. It wasn't quite the hard-fought stalemate in which the two players battled on towards the 100-move mark, refusing to give up until neither had any gas left in the tank. The two Indians shook hands in 41 moves, but the draw was anything but ordinary. The game began with a Queen's pawn opening, and it wasn't long before Divya had both of her knights galloping out forward, with her kingside knight capturing Humpy's corresponding piece in just the fifth move. This was, of course, after the latter gave the white king a check with her dark-squared bishop, which forced the 19-year-old IM to bring out her other knight. Mistakes, however, started to creep into Humpy's game inside the first 10 moves, starting with her decision to move her light-squared bishop in the seventh move (Bb7). According to Lichess, the 38-year-old would have been better served capturing Divya's E-file pawn (Nxe4). That was followed by Humpy's decision to withdraw her knight shortly after capturing the aforementioned E-file pawn (Nxe4). The Lichess engine feels the veteran should have used this opportunity to advance her other knight (Nd7). Three moves later, she committed an absolute blunder by moving her king to f8 instead of closer to the queen at d8. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'The game saw an extremely sharp battle with the game ending in a draw in 41 moves. On move 7, Divya made her aggressive intentions clear by offering another pawn, which looked like home preparation. Humpy made a practical decision of refraining from taking the pawn and a balanced position was reached by move 10 by white,' said Indian GM Pravin Thipsay told news agency PTI after Game 1. 'However, instead of developing the undeveloped Knight, Humpy retreated the centralised Knight on move 10, giving huge positional advantage to Divya. Divya could have gained huge positional advantage on the 12th move by moving a rook. However, she chose to play for King side attack by sacrificing a piece instead,' he added, referring to a blunder by Divya (12. Nxc4 bxc4) in which she lost a huge chunk of advantage on the eval bar with a knight sacrifice. Despite failing to capitalise on Humpy's errors, Divya refused to give up and remained on the hunt for a victory even as her opponent tried offering her a draw via repetition, with the game later meandering towards a double-rook-and-queen endgame. Game 1 of the Final between 🇮🇳 Divya Deshmukh and 🇮🇳 Humpy Koneru ends in a draw! #FIDEWorldCup — International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) July 26, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, it was Humpy's superior time management that allowed her to eventually walk away with a draw, with Divya having half-a-minute left on her clock at one point. And after her escape in Game 1, Humpy with be aiming to come up with a strong response in Game 2 in which it will be her turn to play with white pieces.
