Tan Zhongyi clinches third place and candidates spot in a thrilling battle against Lei Tingjie
The second game of the Women’s World Cup final ended in a solid draw.
Humpy Koneru attempted to unbalance an equal position with an enterprising pawn sacrifice, but Divya Deshmukh defended accurately, and the game was drawn after 34 moves.
“It should have been an easy draw, but I got into trouble for no reason,” Divya remarked candidly after the game.
With both classical games drawn, the title will now be decided in tomorrow’s rapid tiebreaks. Humpy, the reigning World Rapid Champion, enters the playoff with strong credentials, but Divya has shown remarkable composure and resilience in previous tiebreaks, having already defeated Grandmasters Zhu Jiner and Harika Dronavalli in earlier rounds.
“I think I’m going to give my best tomorrow,” said Divya. “She is of course a very strong player, but I’m hoping things go my way.”
In the battle for third place, Tan Zhongyi emerged victorious against fellow Chinese Grandmaster Lei Tingjie. In an exciting encounter, Tan capitalized on a major blunder by Lei in the late stages of the game. With the win, she not only claimed the bronze medal but also secured a coveted spot in the Candidates Tournament.
Tan, a former Women’s World Champion, has now achieved an impressive record in the three editions of the Women’s World Cup: two third-place finishes and one fourth place.
Elite-level Precision as Humpy and Divya head to tiebreaks
The second classical game of the Women’s World Cup final between Humpy Koneru and Divya Deshmukh was a showcase of top-tier accuracy.
Both players recorded a remarkable 99% accuracy score, with an average centipawn loss of just three—a clear testament to the elite level of play on display.
Humpy surprised with the fashionable Zukertort setup: 1.Nf3 2.e3 3.c4—a line used by players like Levon Aronian and gaining popularity in recent years. Though not a staple in Humpy’s repertoire, she had previously used it to score a notable win over IM Salome Melia at the 2024 New York Rapid & Blitz, where she clinched the World Rapid Championship title.
As expected, Divya’s preparation was impeccable. With a series of precise moves, she comfortably neutralized White’s initiative and steered the game into a balanced queen and minor piece endgame.
The position was dynamically balanced—Humpy had the bishop pair, but the closed center allowed Divya’s knights to hold their ground. After a lengthy think, Divya played 21…Ne4, a principled and engine-approved choice that invited complications. Humpy immediately seized the opportunity to transform the position with 22.Bxe4 dxe4 23.d5!, sacrificing a pawn to open the long diagonal and activate her bishop.
Though down a pawn, White seized the initiative. Divya found herself under sudden pressure and explained afterward: “I got myself into a mess for no reason. I was trying to see if there was a win, but I missed Qb8.”
That moment came on move 26:
Despite being a pawn ahead, Black was caught in a bind. The knight on d8 was pinned and vulnerable, and mating threats loomed. Divya, showing great defensive prowess, played Kh7, eventually freeing herself with a precise …Nc6 maneuver. Though she had to return her extra pawn, the simplification allowed her to force a perpetual check, bringing the game to a balanced conclusion.
With both classical games drawn, the final will now be decided in rapid and blitz tiebreaks tomorrow. According to an unofficial FIDE poll of 10,000 viewers, the odds are almost evenly split: 52% favor Divya, while 48% lean toward Humpy.
The outcome now hinges entirely on their speed chess prowess and nerves under pressure.
Tan Zhongyi clinches third place and Candidates spot in thrilling battle Against Lei Tingjie
In the other decisive match of the day, Tan Zhongyi overcame Lei Tingjie to secure the bronze medal and, crucially, the final qualifying spot in the 2026 Candidates Tournament, which determines the challenger for the Women’s World Championship.
Lei opened with the Giuoco Pianissimo, a quiet but deeply theoretical variation of the Italian Opening—a line she had already employed multiple times during her semi-final clash with Humpy Koneru.
Tan, well-prepared for the encounter, followed familiar territory from her Round 5 victory over Vaishali, but in this game, she allowed Lei the opportunity to pin the knight on g5 early after castling.
“I actually didn’t expect her to play this opening. I had prepared this before when I played against Vaishali, and back then I made a mistake in the move order, but I reviewed it again, and I didn’t expect that she would play it today. I feel pretty lucky,” Tan confessed in a quick postgame interview.
The first critical moment arose just out of the opening:
This position has appeared in several top-level games, with players like Aronian and Vidit choosing the creative 12.Ra3!?, sacrificing the d4 pawn in exchange for swift rook activity.
Instead, Lei introduced a novel idea: 12.Bb5!?. After 12…exd4 13.Nc4! dxc3 14.Nxb6!, the game took a sharp tactical turn:
If Black greedily continues with 14…cxb2, White responds with 15.Bxb2 cxb6 16.Ra3!, followed by 17.Nh2 and 18.Rg3, setting up a devastating kingside assault in exchange for two pawns.
Recognizing the danger, Tan wisely declined the material and prioritized piece activity and king safety with 14…cxb6. From that point on, both players followed the engine’s top line with astonishing precision, showcasing exceptional preparation and decision-making under pressure.
The second pivotal moment occurred in the late middlegame:
Here, Tan had a winning opportunity with 35…Qf1!, pinning the g2 pawn and threatening both mate and the rook on d4. However, spotting the correct follow-up—36.Rxe6 h5!—was far from easy.
This subtle pawn move shuts down any escape via g4, and with …Qh1# looming, White would have been helpless. Tan missed the win, and Lei managed to regain balance with two pawns and a knight for the rook, entering a complex endgame.
However, with the clock ticking down, Lei made a fatal error in a tense position:
Here, 52.Kg3 would have prolonged the fight, though the position is in Black’s favor. Instead, Lei blundered with 52.Kxh5?, allowing the cold-blooded 52…Rf4!.
The knight can’t capture the a5 pawn due to the skewer 53…Rf5+, after which Black can clean up the weak pawns and promote the a-pawn. With this victory, Tan Zhongyi not only claims third place but also punches her ticket to the 2026 Candidates Tournament. It’s yet another impressive result in her World Cup resume, which now includes two third-place finishes and one fourth-place across just three editions.
Written by IM Michael Rahal (Batumi, Georgia)
Photos: Anna Shtourman
About the tournament:
Scheduled to take place from July 6th to July 28th, the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup will gather together in Batumi (Georgia) the world’s best female chess players. A total of 107 players from 46 different federations are set to participate in the event, including seventeen of the current top twenty!
Chess legends, seasoned professionals and emerging talents will play for the $50,000 first prize, in addition to three qualifying spots for the Candidates.
The full pairings tree and day-by-day results can be found on the Women’s World Cup website.
