'Battle Of Eras': Humpy Koneru And Divya Deshmukh Square Up In All-Indian FIDE Women's World Cup Final
The final is expected to be an enticing affair between veteran Koneru, who has been the flag-bearer for the game in the nation for decades, and the promising 19-year-old Deshmukh.
The ever-growing trophy cabinet of Indian chess is set to gain an addition in the form of the FIDE Women's World Cup 2025 title as Humpy Koneru and Divya Deshmukh square off in the final of the event in Batumi, Georgia.
The final, slated to begin on Saturday, is expected to be a tightly-contested affair between the veteran Koneru, who has been the flag-bearer for the women's game in the nation for decades now, and the promising 19-year-old who has enjoyed a rapid rise to fame in recent years.
Humpy demonstrated her experience to hold her nerve and eke out a win over Chinese star Tingjie Lei in the semifinal of the event to secure her passage into the summit clash, after Deshmukh had punched her ticket to the championship battle with her win over Tingjie's compatriot Tan Zhongyi.
The all-Indian final also entailed a spot in the Candidates event for both the finalists, while Tingjie and Zhongyi will face in a clash to determine the third Candidates spot.
The final will feature two classical matches, one on Saturday and one on Sunday, July 27. If necessary, tiebreaks will occur on Monday.
Each player will have 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, with an additional 30 minutes for the remainder of the classical match. A 30-second increment per move will be added from the first move.
In the tiebreaks, two rapid matches of 10 minutes each will be played, with a 10-second increment after every move. If the score remains tied, two five-minute matches will be played, with three-second increments after every move. Should the tie persist, two Blitz matches of three minutes each will be played, with two-second increments after every move.
If still unresolved, 3+2 Blitz matches will continue until a winner is determined. The winner of the Women's World Cup will receive $50,000 in prize money, while the runner-up will receive $35,000.
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First Published:
July 26, 2025, 13:06 IST
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