FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025: What are rapid tiebreaks and how will they decide the champion?

The FIDE Women’s World Chess Cup final between India’s Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh remains undecided after both classical games ended in tense draws. The title will now be decided through a rapid tiebreak format, which begins on Monday in Batumi, Georgia.

In the second classical encounter, Divya showed composure and strategic skill despite Humpy's early advantage from a Queen’s pawn opening. Humpy gained momentum with her bishop pair, but Divya countered effectively, using her knights to neutralize threats and maintain balance. With both games drawn, the contest moves into faster-paced formats to determine the winner.

The tiebreak process includes multiple stages:

1. First stage: Two rapid games with each player having 10 minutes, plus a 10-second increment per move.
2. If still tied: Two additional rapid games with 5 minutes and a 3-second increment.
3. If no result: Two blitz games, where each player gets 3 minutes with a 2-second increment.
4. Final option: If still undecided, an Armageddon game will be played—where White gets more time but must win, while Black only needs a draw to clinch the title.

Humpy, the reigning world rapid champion, brings a wealth of experience into the tiebreaks. However, Divya has already demonstrated her strength in high-pressure rapid formats, having defeated strong contenders like GM Zhu Jiner and D Harika in earlier rounds.

With the championship on the line, the rapid tiebreak promises an exciting and high-stakes showdown between two of India’s top chess talents.