After tomorrow’s rest day, Humpy will face off Divya in the final
Something extraordinary is happening in Indian chess — and the world is starting to take notice.
India has taken the global chess stage by storm in 2024, delivering one historic moment after another. First came the unprecedented double triumph at the Budapest Olympiad, where India clinched gold in both the Open and Women’s sections.
Then, Gukesh D, the teenage sensation from Tamil Nadu, became the World Chess Champion, etching his name in history as the youngest undisputed champion in the modern era.
And now, in a development that underscores the country’s growing stature in women’s chess, India have two players in the final of the Women’s World Cup — a first in the event’s history.
On one side is the prodigious Divya Deshmukh, just 19 years old, who stunned former Women’s World Champion Tan Zhongyi with a clinical 1.5–0.5 victory in the classical games. On the other is the ever-reliable Humpy Koneru, India’s top female player for nearly two decades, who booked her place in the final this afternoon after a thrilling six-game tiebreak victory over Lei Tingjie at the Batumi Grand Bellagio.
If 2024 is any indication, Indian chess isn’t just rising — it’s redefining the global chess landscape.
It took six fiercely contested games for Humpy Koneru to secure her place in the final, edging past Lei Tingjie with a final score of 5–3. The match, marked by tense moments and momentum shifts, showcased both players’ resilience and rapid skills under pressure.
The contest began with two 15+10 rapid games, both ending in draws. Lei missed a clear winning opportunity in the first game, and Humpy later acknowledged her slow start: “It was a very tough match. Initially, I played quite badly with the Black pieces and she always had the advantage.”
The breakthrough came in the 10+10 rapid section, where Lei struck first with a win in Game 3. But Humpy responded with steely determination, leveling the score in Game 4: “After the loss, it was a very difficult situation, but I was able to come back.”
Heading into the 5+3 blitz tiebreaks with everything on the line, Humpy displayed her composure and tactical sharpness, winning both games in time scrambles to seal the match.
Reflecting on the battle, Humpy was gracious in victory: “I played a bit shaky in the rapid, but she also gave a very good fight. It could have gone either way.”
Looking ahead to the final, Humpy highlighted the significance of an all-Indian clash against Divya Deshmukh: “I think it’s one of the happiest moments for chess fans because now the title will go to India for sure. But of course, as a player, tomorrow will be quite a tough game as well—Divya has played tremendously well in this whole tournament.”
As Humpy advances to the final, her performance not only underlines her enduring class but also marks a proud milestone for Indian chess.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the key moments of the match.
In the opening encounter of the 15 + 10 rapid tiebreak, Humpy narrowly escaped a dangerous position.
Lei Tingjie missed a golden chance to seize a decisive advantage with the intuitive sacrifice 19.Bxh6! gxh6 20.Qd2, initiating an unstoppable kingside attack. Despite spending nearly a minute evaluating the idea, Lei likely abandoned the line due to the lack of an immediately forced win — a common practical decision under time pressure. Humpy survived the scare, and the game eventually ended peacefully.
Though the second game concluded in a solid draw, it was clear that Humpy held the upper hand throughout.
Lei finally broke through in the third rapid game, now at a 10 + 10 time control.
In an already slightly worse position due to weak light squares, Humpy blundered with 22…h5?, allowing the powerful response 23.Bc4!, simultaneously threatening the rook on e6 and the vulnerable f7 pawn. After 23…Rb6 24.gxh5+ Nxh5 25.Nxh5 Kxh5 26.Bxf7+ White emerged a clean pawn up.
Humpy mounted a determined defence, but Lei converted her material advantage flawlessly to clinch the win. After this game, Lei was seen taking a short break in the lobby, quietly refocusing for what could be the decisive fourth rapid game.
The fourth 10 + 10 rapid game was all Humpy, but even at the end she had to be careful.
Humpy found the accurate 38.Qc7! forcing resignation, side-stepping the trap 38.fxe3? Qe4!, and it’s Lei who can force at least a perpetual check, if not more.
After this comeback, the vibe in the room was that Humpy was on a roll, while Lei might have been slightly discouraged.
Even so, both 5+3 blitz games were tremendously exciting and ultimately decided by tactics. The following moment in the fifth basically gave Humpy the key to the final.
Black has to be very careful here – the extra pawn isn’t worth as much as the tactics on the seventh and eighth rank.
With just a few seconds on her clock, Lei blundered with 44…Ra6?, and after 45.Qd7! hitting f7, 45…Qf8 46.Rc8, she lost her queen and the game.
Instead, the correct move order was 44…Qf8! followed by 45…Ra8, and it should be a draw.
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.
