Divya Deshmukh Becomes The First Indian Woman To Reach Final Of FIDE Women's World Cup

Divya Deshmukh has made India proud by her young talent. This 19-year-old, Indian chess sensation is generating a lot of buzz on social media as she created history by becoming the first Indian woman to reach the final of the FIDE Women's World Cup. After her dramatic win over former world cup champion, Tan Zhongyi, she not just earned a spot in the 2026 Candidates Tournament but also her first Grandmaster (GM) norm. 

The nail-biting semi finale game of Divya Deshmukh and Tan Zhongyi

The semi-final match between China's Tan Zhongyi and India's Divya Deshmukh was filled with pressure and emotional swings. Tan was a former Women's World Champion and the world number 4, whereas Divya was already known for her amazing rise in the world of chess. When the match started, both players had chances to win, as in the two-game match, the first match was a draw. 

In the second game, Divya started confidently and put Tan under pressure in the beginning of the game but as the match continued, this advantage kept on shifting. The match was not less than a roller coaster ride, where both players made mistakes, because of which it became an uncertain game till the very end. 

Despite the pressure and a few mistakes, Divya held herself up during the important stage. As time pressure increased, Tan made a final mistake, which gave Divya an upper hand to finish the game. The match lasted till 101 moves before Tan resigned. After the win Divya believed that she could have played better and had a smoother win. In her words:

"I think I could have played much better. I was winning at a certain point and then things got complicated. I think I messed up in the middle game. I think I should have had a much smoother win. She put up such a good fight that I thought it was a draw. I think I got lucky at the end."

Who will Divya Deshmukh compete with in the finals?

Divya Deshmukh's opponent is still not confirmed as one semi-final tiebreaker match between India's Koneru Humpy and China's Lei Tingjie is left. Whoever wins amongst these two will face Divya Deshmukh. If Humpy wins this game, it will be an all Indian-final, which will be a memorable moment in Indian chess history. If Tingjie wins, Divya will face one of the highest-ranked players. Either way, it will be an interesting match to watch. The final of FIDE Women's World Cup 2025, is between July 26- July 28, 2025. After Divya Deshmukh's semi-final win, she said that as of now, she just has one thing on her mind. She said:

"I need some sleep. These days have been so anxious. I just need some sleep and food."

More about Divya Deshmukh

Divya Deshmukh was born on December 9, 2005, in Nagpur, Maharashtra. She grew up in a family of doctors and began playing chess at the age of five. Within a very short time, she made her mark by winning under-7, under-10 and under-12 youth titles. In the current FIDE Women's World Cup in Batumi, Georgia, Divya Deshmukh has been playing very well. 

She improved through every match and defeated top opponents, including second seed Zhu Jiner and GM Harika Dronavalli. In the semifinals, she shocked everyone with her performance, when she defeated the former Champion, Tan Zhongyi, in the dramatic game. 

We wish Divya Deshmukh all the very best for the final of FIDE Women's World Cup 2025. 

Next Read: Harbhajan Singh Was 'Shattered' As Sreesanth's Daughter Refused To Talk To Him For Slapping Her Dad

AWESOME NEWS! Now you can download BollywoodShaadis app and never miss a story. Get App

AWESOME NEWS! Now you can download BollywoodShaadis app and never miss a story. Choose your device Android or IOS (Apple)