Humpy scripts history, Harika vs Divya heads to tiebreaks at Women's Chess World Cup
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 the game one in the quarterfinals of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) Women's World Cup at Batumi on Saturday night.
In the all-Indian quarterfinal between Harika Dronavalli and young Divya Deshmukh, things remained tight. Divya, playing with the white pieces, chose the 'Slav Defense: Modern Line' as her opening, but Harika didn't give her any clear chances. It turned into a long battle, with neither side able to find a breakthrough. After 60 hard-fought moves, the two agreed to a draw.
Meanwhile, Vaishali Rameshbabu's impressive run came to an end, as she lost to the third seed Tan Zhongyi of China.
Top seed Lei Tingjie, on the other hand, continued her strong form and stormed into the semifinals with another victory over Georgia's Nana Dzagnidze. Humpy will now face Tingjie in a high-profile semifinal showdown, while Tan awaits the winner of the Harika vs Divya.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Observer
2 days ago
- Observer
England down Italy to reach Euro 2025 final
Chloe Kelly fired home the rebound from her own penalty to net a 119th-minute winner as reigning champions England pulled off a stunning comeback to beat Italy 2-1 after extra time on Tuesday and reach the Women's European Championship final. England fell behind in the first half but hit back to level through Michelle Agyemang six minutes into second-half stoppage time and when Emma Severini pulled down Beth Mead in the box in extra time, Kelly grabbed the chance to decide the game. Her first effort was saved but she was quick off the mark to rifle in the rebound and send England through to the final where they will face either Spain or Germany. After a come-from-behind penalty shootout win over Sweden in the quarterfinals, England again flirted with disaster, but their late surge floored Italy, whose hopes of reaching a first final since 1997 were crushed. The win propelled England into a third successive major final after their Euro 2022 success and World Cup loss to Spain the following year. With the Italians riding a wave of confidence after a last minute winner against Norway in their quarterfinal, they defended brilliantly and attacked incisively on the break. Their persistence paid off in the 33rd minute of a gritty semifinal when a ball from the right found its way to Barbara Bonansea, who took a touch before lashing it into the roof of the net. England then dominated possession and created a slew of chances as the Italians rode their luck, but too often the English attackers unleashed shots from distance that were easily dealt with or flew harmlessly over the bar. With their hopes of defending their title slowly slipping away, 19-year old substitute Agyemang snapped up a loose ball in the box and fired home to send the game to extra time. Agyemang almost scored again with an effort deep into the second half of the extra period, outsprinting and outmuscling the Italian defence only to see her deft lob towards goal bounce back off the crossbar. Sensing that they could avoid a repeat of their quarterfinal penalty shootout against Sweden, England poured forward and reaped their reward when Mead was fouled in the box, but there was one more twist in the tale. Kelly took her usual prancing run-up, but Italy keeper Laura Giuliani kept her nerve and saved, only for the England winger to score from the follow-up and seal her side's spot in Sunday's final in Basel. 'I just tried my best for the team. It wasn't supposed to go like that, that penalty, but I was ready for the rebound and ready for any opportunity given to me wearing an England badge,' a delighted Kelly said. England defender Lucy Bronze said they had been forced to dig deep to reach the final. 'Yeah, we don't know if it's the easy way it seems this tournament, but we find a way to win,' she said. 'I think it was the 96th minute and then the 118th minute... we just... found a way to get the goals and get the ball in the last minute.' For Italy, who had defended superbly until England's equaliser, the loss was a devastating blow. 'Obviously, going out like this hurts a lot. Having stood up to the champions should give us a lot of confidence for the future. There are no words to describe the emotions we have experienced on this journey,' coach Andrea Soncin said. 'This evening, for as hard as the girls fought, we definitely deserved a different ending. Many difficult situations to comment on. It's sad, but I am and we are very proud.' — Reuters
Muscat Daily
3 days ago
- Muscat Daily
LuLu Exchange partners with Argentine Football Association
LuLu Exchange, a leading cross-border payments provider in Oman, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar, and LuLu Money, its flagship remittance app, have announced a partnership with the Argentine Football Association (AFA), signing on as their Regional Fintech Partners. This sponsorship is part of a larger global agreement through which the various entities under LuLu Financial Holdings, across 10 countries, will become official AFA partners within their respective regions, a press release said. In India, LuLu Forex, a leading foreign exchange provider, and LuLu Finserv, the group's microlending and financial services arm, will represent the brand. Meanwhile, LuLu Money will take on the partnership role in Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore. The partnership, which initially runs through mid-2026, was officially unveiled at an event held in Dubai on Tuesday, in the presence of Argentina's World Cup-winning coach Lionel Scaloni, senior LuLu Financial Holdings leadership, and AFA executives. The agreement spans a key period in global football, culminating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, where the reigning champions will defend their crown. Over the next twelve months, customers of various LuLuFin entities can look forward to a range of exciting campaigns and fan-centric activations, both digitally and through their 380+ customer engagement centers. 'For countless fans, the Argentine team represents more than football – it symbolises hope, resilience, and joy,' said Adeeb Ahamed, founder and managing director of LuLu Financial Holdings. 'These are the same emotions that shape the everyday journeys of our customers, who use our services to care for their families and build better futures. This partnership is a celebration of that shared spirit.' Claudio Tapia, president of the AFA, said, 'We are delighted to have the LuluFin family as new regional sponsor of the Argentine Football Association for the Middle East, APAC and India. AFA's international expansion continues to grow, incorporating prestigious groups in important territories for our national team. We celebrate this new agreement, which has a strong bond with the Indian community, printing such affection for our team. We share the same values and the importance of teamwork. Today, we welcome the LuLuFin family as new regional sponsors of the Argentine national team.' Leandro Petersen, commercial and marketing director of AFA, said, 'This new regional sponsorship with Lulu Financial Holdings, through its flagship brands in strategic territories such as India, APAC and the Middle East, marks a new step in the global expansion of the AFA brand. Since we arrived in the Middle East and India, we have seen strong support for the Argentine National Team. We are proud to continue positioning the team as a benchmark in the sports industry and generate close identification with the Indian community by each of our commercial agreements. We are pleased that Lulu Financial Holdings has chosen the Argentine Champions as its brand image for this renewed World Cup period. We are very excited and confident that this agreement will be a great success in the market.'
Observer
4 days ago
- Observer
Kulkarni named as deputy head coach of Oman Cricket
Muscat: Oman Cricket (OC) appointed Sulakshan Kulkarni as the Deputy Head Coach of the Oman Men's Cricket Team. A seasoned cricketing mind and former first-class cricketer, Kulkarni brings with him over two decades of elite coaching experience and a deep understanding of the game, having contributed significantly to Indian domestic cricket and International assignments. A former Mumbai stalwart, Kulkarni played first-class cricket from 1985 to 2002, sharing the dressing room with legends such as Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar. He also boasts an illustrious record with seven Ranji Trophy and Irani Cup titles with Mumbai, as a player and coach then. He was also named among the probable squad in India's 1987 World Cup squad. His coaching portfolio spans across top Indian domestic teams including Mumbai, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra. Under his guidance, Mumbai lifted both the Ranji Trophy and the Deodhar Trophy, while West Zone emerged victorious under his strategic leadership. Sulakshan, a gritty batter and a elite coach, has played a pivotal role in shaping the careers of numerous international stars such as Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Suryakumar Yadav, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Avishkar Salvi. In 2018, he also served as the Batting Consultant for Nepal, during the ICC World Cup Qualifiers Division II, where Nepal secured ODI status for the first time in its history. With over 20 years of coaching experience for National, International and IPL teams, Sulakshan Kulkarni's appointment underscores Oman Cricket's commitment to building a strong and competitive team structure with solid backroom staff led by Duleep Mendis ahead of key international fixtures such as the ICC EAP Asia Qualifier Final and the on-going cycle of the ICC CWC League 2, both of which are a step to the T20 World Cup 2026 and Cricket World Cup 2027 respectively. Oman Cricket extends a warm welcome to Kulkarni and looks forward to his valuable contribution in elevating the performance and development of our national cricket team.
