Divya Deshmukh creates history, defeats Koneru Humpy to clinch Women's Chess World Cup title

BATUMI: Nineteen-year-old Divya Deshmukh has clinched the Women’s Chess World Cup title, defeating Koneru Humpy in a tense tiebreaker. With this win, Divya has become the first Indian woman to secure a world chess championship. This year’s final was historic as it marked the first time two Indian players faced each other in the Women’s Chess World Cup title clash. The second game of the final ended in a draw on Sunday, leading to the tie-breaker where Divya emerged victorious.

The tie-breaker games were played in rapid and blitz formats. Initially, two rapid games of ten minutes each were held, with a ten-second increment per move. Regardless of whether Humpy or Divya won, India was assured of its first Women’s World Cup champion. The winner would receive Rs 41 lakh, while the runner-up would get Rs 29 lakh as prize money.

The Divya-Humpy final was seen as a clash of generations. Divya is half Humpy’s age. Since Humpy earned the Grandmaster title, only two other Indian women — D. Harika and Vaishali — have achieved the same. Divya has now joined this elite list.