Divya Deshmukh Creates History, Becomes First Indian To Qualify For FIDE Women's World Cup Final

Rising Indian chess star Divya Deshmukh has become the first Indian to qualify for the finals of the FIDE Women's World Cup 2025, and in the process she has also guaranteed her spot in the Candidates tournament that is set to take place in 2026. 

Divya was up against China's Tan Zhongyi, and was seen as something of an underdog in the tie given her opponent boasts far more experience than her. 

However, Divya managed to pull off an audacious win in the semi and she is now just one win away from becoming the world cup winner in the sport of chess. 

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How Divya Scripted History

The ties in these games are usually two games, with each player switching the colour of their pieces. If the two matches end in a draw, then tie breakers to decide the winner. 

The first game between the two was drawn, meaning the second was a must-win for both players as a loss would eliminate them and a draw would lead to more rounds being played. 

The game saw many twists and turns but it was Divya who ended up taking the win, entering the final with a scoreline of 1.5-0.5. 

And since the top 3 finishers in the World Cup get to enter the Candidates, Divya has already secured her spot since she is guaranteed a runners-up finish. 

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An All-Indian Final Possible?

But to make things even more interesting, Divya could be up against a fellow Indian chess player in Koneru Humpy to decide who wins the title. 

Humpy was up against another Chinese chess player Lei Tingje in the other semi-final of the tournament but the tie ended in a draw, with both of the games seeing no winners. 

The tie will be decided by tiebreaks on Thursday (July 24) and if Humpy wins, it will guarantee two Indians an entry into the Candidates as well as see an all-Indian final in the World Cup.