Batumi (Georgia): India’s rising chess sensation, IM Divya Deshmukh, has secured a spot in the final of the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup after a stunning victory over China’s GM Tan Zhongyi in their second semifinal clash.

With this triumph, the 19-year-old not only reaches the final of one of the most prestigious events in women’s chess but also earns a coveted Grandmaster norm and qualifies for the next Women’s Candidates Tournament, a significant milestone in her career.

Divya has an impressive list of achievements to her name. A three-time gold medalist at the Chess Olympiad, she has also secured top honours at the Asian Championship, World Junior Championship, and World Youth Championship. In 2021, she became India’s 21st Woman Grandmaster and followed it up by winning the Women's Indian Chess Championship in 2022. That same year, she clinched an individual bronze medal at the Chess Olympiad and was a key member of India’s gold medal-winning team at the FIDE Online Chess Olympiad 2020. In September 2024, she won the team gold as well as the individual gold medals at the 45th Chess Olympiad.

The other finalist will be decided on Thursday through a playoff between India’s Koneru Humpy and China’s Lei Tingjie, whose first semifinal game ended in a draw. The opening game between Divya and Tan Zhongyi had also ended in a 0.5-0.5 stalemate, setting up a thrilling second-leg finish.

Earlier, Humpy created history by becoming the first-ever Indian woman to reach the semifinals of the tournament. A solid draw in the second game of her quarterfinal clash against China's IM Song Yuxin was enough to seal the deal, according to ESPN.

There were a couple of minor inaccuracies along the way, but Humpy kept things under control, playing safe and smart. Eventually, her opponent settled for a draw, which confirmed Humpy's passage into the final four.

Earlier, Koneru Humpy struck the first blow, securing game one in the quarterfinals of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) Women's World Cup at Batumi on Saturday night.

Deshmukh produced a remarkable performance to defeat compatriot GM Harika Dronavalli in the quarterfinals, winning both the tie-break games to advance to the semifinals.

The match was tightly contested in the classical segment, but Divya grabbed her opportunity in the first tie-break, when Harika made a crucial error in the endgame. In the second tie-break game, Harika had chances to bounce back, but she missed a couple of winning opportunities, and Divya made her pay for it. As a result, Harika's campaign came to an end, while Divya marched on with great composure and maturity. (ANI)