India Makes Chess History; Deshmukh and Humpy secure first-ever All-Indian Women’s World Cup Final

For the first time, two Indians (Divya Deshmukh and Koneru Humpy) will compete in the FIDE Women’s Chess World Cup final, guaranteeing India its first-ever champion.

New Delhi: India has achieved a historic feat in the FIDE Women's Chess World Cup 2025. This is the first time that both the finalists in the final of this prestigious tournament are Indian players—International Master Divya Deshmukh and Grandmaster Koneru Humpy. This is not only a matter of pride for India but also a historic moment for chess lovers all over the world.

Divya Deshmukh, who hails from Nagpur, made it to the final by defeating China's strong player Tan Zhongyi in the semi-finals. She became the first Indian woman to reach the final of the FIDE Women's Chess World Cup. Till now no Indian female player could reach this level. Divya's victory was special in many ways, as she achieved this position by defeating an experienced and high-ranked player.

On the other hand, experienced Grandmaster Koneru Humpy also performed brilliantly in her semi-final match. She faced Tingji Lei of China. Due to the classical games being drawn, the match reached the tie-breaker, where Humpy won using her intelligence, experience, and strategy to the best of her abilities. With this win, she not only made it to the finals but also qualified for the Candidates Tournament to be held next year, which is an important step to reach the World Championship.

Now when two Indian players will face each other in the final—one young and rising star, Divya Deshmukh, and the other an experienced and world-class player, Koneru Humpy—this match is going to be very exciting. Also, it has been ensured that this time the winner of the Women's Chess World Cup will be from India. This achievement has been recorded as a golden chapter in the history of Indian chess and will provide a new inspiration and energy to players and fans across the country.