- FIDE Women's World Cup: 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh triumphs in a stunning upset by beating Koneru Humpy in rapid tiebreaks
- Secures her last Grandmaster norm, becoming the fourth Indian woman to claim the honorific GM title
- Beating an experienced player such as Humpy highlights her global potential and poise
In a historic and dramatic victory for Indian chess, 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh captured the FIDE Women's World Cup crown, defeating India's highest-rated player and reigning World Rapid Champion, Koneru Humpy, in the rapid tiebreaks of the final match held in Batumi, Georgia.
The 15th-ranked Divya put up a sensational show, beating a number of top seeds on her way to the final. The classical encounters against Koneru resulted in closely contested draws, taking the title match into rapid tiebreaks. In the first of the rapid games, in which Divya had White, the game was a well-balanced draw.
In the second game, playing with Black, the 19-year-old remained cool under extreme pressure of time as Humpy, 38, failed to make it in the endgame. Divya exploited the mistakes with accuracy to seal a historic and memorable victory. Through this victory, Divya not only gained the World Cup title, which is much desired, but also earned her final Grandmaster title, becoming the fourth Indian woman and the 88th Indian overall to receive the GM title.
Her attack on the board, acute preparation, and mental composure in the most critical situations impressed everyone throughout the championship. Though she was not among pre-tournament favourites, her show in this record-breaking recounts us the growing resolve of the future crop of Indian chess players. Her record-breaking victory is a turning point in the career of Divya and an Indian sports moment of national pride as she makes herself known as a force to be reckoned with within international chess circles.
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