Divya Deshmukh Crowned Women’s World Cup Champion 2025, Achieves Grandmaster Title

In a historic moment for Indian chess, 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh triumphed over compatriot Koneru Humpy to clinch the Women’s World Cup 2025 title on Monday, July 28. Deshmukh secured the coveted crown after a tense tie-break session, marking her as the first Indian woman to achieve this feat and surprisingly, also earning her the prestigious Grandmaster (GM) title.

The final match, held in Batumi, Georgia, saw both players locked in a stalemate after the classical rounds on Sunday, pushing the contest into rapid tie-breaks. The first rapid game also ended in a draw, setting the stage for a dramatic second game. It was in this second rapid encounter that time pressure significantly affected Humpy, leading to critical blunders that Deshmukh capitalized on decisively. Divya won the tie-breaks 1.5-0.5, solidifying her place in history.

Deshmukh’s path to the Grandmaster title was unconventional, as she did not meet the traditional three GM norms or a FIDE rating of 2500. Her victory and subsequent GM title came as a surprise even to her. “I think it was fate me getting the Grandmaster title this way because before this I didn’t even have one norm. Before this tournament I was thinking, where can I get a norm, and now I’m a Grandmaster!” Deshmukh stated after her win.

This victory makes Divya the fourth female Indian Grandmaster, joining the ranks of Koneru Humpy, R. Vaishali, and Harika Dronavalli. Beyond the title, her success also guarantees her a spot in next year’s Candidates Tournament, further elevating her promising career.

Throughout the final, Deshmukh displayed remarkable composure. Initially, she expressed self-criticism over not converting opportunities in Game 1 of the classical round. However, she quickly regained control in the subsequent stages. Despite Humpy’s aggressive knight attack aimed at disrupting her structure, Divya skillfully navigated the complexities, even rejecting queen trade offers to maintain her advantage. The endgame of the classical rounds saw Humpy sacrifice her queen, leading to a draw.

In the second rapid game, Divya secured an early pawn advantage, which proved crucial. Humpy found herself on the defensive with significantly less time on the clock (7 minutes compared to Divya’s 14). A risky pawn move by Humpy (Rxf4) provided Divya the opening to push her pawn, ultimately leading to Humpy’s resignation. Upon her opponent’s surrender, the 19-year-old was overcome with emotion, breaking down in tears.