Divya Deshmukh Scripts History, Becomes First Indian Woman in FIDE Women's World Cup Final

By: WE Staff | Thursday, 24 July 2025

• 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh defeats former World Champion Tan Zhongyi
• Divya secures her First Grandmaster norm and a Spot in 2026 Women's Candidates Tournament
• India's Koneru Humpy and China's Lei Tingjie tied, with tiebreaks set for Thursday

Divya Deshmukh, a 19-year-old Indian chess prodigy, made history by defeating former World Champion Tan Zhongyi in the semifinals of the FIDE Women's World Cup 2025. This victory secured her first Grandmaster norm and a spot in the 2026 Women's Candidates Tournament. Divya's impressive performance included wins over top seeds Zhu Jiner and Harika Dronavalli, cementing her status as India's rising chess star.

Divya becomes the first Indian woman to reach the final of the prestigious FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025, held in Batumi, Georgia. She outplayed her opponent with white pieces, claiming a 1.5-0.5 win in the semifinal, after facing a draw in the first game and gaining a two-pawn advantage after trading queens. She regained her advantage after a rook up.

In the other game, India's Koneru Humpy and China's Lei Tingjie tied in Game 2 of the FIDE Women's World Cup 2025 semifinal, with tiebreaks set for Thursday.

Born in Nagpur, Divya discovered chess at a young age and quickly advanced. She won the Under-7 National Championship in 2012 and claimed world youth titles in U-10 and U-12 categories. Divya earned her Woman Grandmaster title in 2021, International Master in 2023, and won the World Junior Girls' U-20 Championship in 2024. She further played a crucial role in India's team gold at the 45th Chess Olympiad and has three Chess Olympiad gold medals and multiple Asian and World Youth titles.