Latest news with #Candidates
News18
10 hours ago
- Sport
- News18
FIDE World Cup Shakes Up 2026 Women's Candidates Race, Only 3 Spot Left
Last Updated: The final three spots at 2026 Women's Candidates will be decided across Grand Swiss and FIDE Women's Events 2024–25 series. The outcome of the 2025 Women's World Cup has significantly influenced the landscape for the 2026 Women's Candidates tournament. The competition for the eight spots in the 2026 Women's Candidates is intensifying. Zhu Jiner and Alexandra Goryachkina secured two positions through the Women's Grand Prix, finishing as winner and runner-up respectively. Three additional spots were decided at the recently concluded Women's World Cup in Batumi, Georgia. Nineteen-year-old Indian talent Divya Deshmukh achieved a remarkable hat-trick in Batumi. Her 1.5–0.5 tiebreak victory over former World No. 2 Humpy Koneru not only earned her the title but also a Grandmaster norm – automatically awarded to the winner – and a spot in the 2026 Candidates, bringing her one step closer to a shot at the world title. Humpy Koneru and former Women's World Champion Tan Zhongyi also qualified, finishing second and third respectively. How To Qualify For 2026 Women's Candidates? With five out of eight places in the Candidates already determined, players have just two more opportunities – the Grand Swiss in September (offering two qualifying spots) and winning the FIDE Women's Events 2024-25 series. While the Grand Swiss is traditionally the strongest open tournament on the calendar, filtering the elite through its qualification standards, the FIDE Women's Events series operates on a cumulative points system. What Are The Stadnings For 2024–25 FIDE Women's Events? The World Cup in Batumi reshuffled the standings in the 2024–25 FIDE Women's Events series. Humpy Koneru now leads comfortably with 224 Ranking Points, more than 70 ahead of Tan Zhongyi in second. The current top five players in the standings are already qualified for the Candidates. World Champion Ju Wenjun holds sixth place (down from first, which she previously held), as she did not participate in the Women's World Cup. As the defending World Champion, Ju does not need to compete in the Candidates. The top player still vying for a spot through the series is Anna Muzychuk, currently holding 80 Ranking Points. Despite a strong performance and winning the final leg of the Women's Grand Prix, she ultimately fell short of qualifying through that route. Trailing Muzychuk are three contenders with between 54.5 and 62 points. Lei Tingjie, winner of the previous (2022–23) Candidates and an unsuccessful title challenger, currently sits eighth with 62 points. Close behind her are veterans Harika Dronavalli (58.5) and Kateryna Lagno (54.5), both within striking distance. The final three spots in the Candidates will be decided across three key events. Two places will go to the winner and runner-up of the Grand Swiss in September. The last spot will be awarded to the winner of the FIDE Women's Events 2024–25 series, based on Ranking Points earned in the Grand Swiss, the World Rapid, and the World Blitz. First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India Today
14 hours ago
- Sport
- India Today
Divya Deshmukh's World Cup title: A testament to India's massive strength in chess
In sports, there are very few instances when one can confidently say, "Jeetega toh India hi" (Only India will win). You can't say that in cricket, hockey, badminton, or any other sport. But in chess, that statement now holds weight. India's dominance in the sport has become so comprehensive that the outcome often feels like a foregone conclusion. The 2025 Chess World Cup in Batumi was the culmination of this the context. The final between Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh was dubbed a 'Clash of Generations.' Humpy, a bonafide great and an inspiration to countless Indian women chess players, faced an opponent nearly half her age. Humpy had already staged a remarkable second wind, returning from motherhood to win two World Rapid titles. On the other hand, Divya had made her mark in Olympiads and junior THE STUDENT OUTPLAYS HUMPY THE TEACHERHeading into the World Cup, Humpy was considered one of the favourites. Divya, while talented, was seen as an underdog who could potentially cause an upset. But as the tournament progressed, both players found themselves on a collision course. Divya took down top Chinese players like Zhu Jiner and Tan Zhongyi en route to the final. Just last month, she had defeated world number one Hou Yifan at the World Rapid and Blitz Championships — a feat that earned praise from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Meanwhile, Humpy defeated heavyweights like Lei Tingjie and former world champion Alexandra final saw both players searching for opportunities in classical play, but the game ended in a draw. Heading into the rapid tiebreaks, Humpy, a two-time World Rapid Champion, appeared to have the upper hand. But Divya held a psychological edge as she had beaten Humpy in the rapid round of the Tata Steel Masters last Batumi, it was Divya who showed more initiative. Game 1 was a strategic battle; Divya only agreed to a draw when no counterplay remained. Game 2 was another even contest until a single blunder by Humpy opened the door. Divya nearly threw away the advantage by being overly aggressive, but Humpy's second fatal blunder under time pressure sealed the play was a testament to modern chess — precise, psychological, and built on exploiting mistakes. Her early flurry of moves gave her a significant time advantage, while Humpy's slower play left her vulnerable. In the end, the student triumphed over the teacher in dramatic SUCCESS REFLECTS INDIA'S CHESS DOMINANCEDivya Deshmukh's win over Koneru Humpy was more than just a personal triumph. It was the icing on the cake for Indian chess. Since Gukesh D qualified for the Candidates in December 2023, Indian players have seen unprecedented success at every not only won the Candidates but also followed it up with double gold — individually and for the team. Similarly, Divya shone at the Olympiad, winning both individual and team golds as India completed a historic double. Gukesh's win over Ding Liren in the World Championship brought chess back into mainstream Indian consciousness for the first time since Viswanathan Anand's momentum has not slowed. Praggnanandhaa has won titles at UzChess, Tata Steel Chess, and Superbet Romania. Gukesh has beaten Magnus Carlsen in both rapid and classical formats, the latter in Carlsen's own backyard in Stavanger, Norway. That victory echoed Carlsen's win over Anand in Chennai back in 2013, but this time, the tables had turned. Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin have also found success on the the junior category, Pranav Venkatesh is now the World Junior Champion, and India bagged three gold medals in the FIDE World Cup Cadets 2025 in the Under-10 and Under-12 events held in title is simply the latest milestone in a golden era. All eyes now turn to 2026, where both Divya and Humpy will aim to qualify for and win the Women's Candidates. If India can produce winners in both the Open and Women's categories, it will confirm that India's dominance in chess is not a fluke. The foundation is laid. The mission for 2026 is clear: sustain the success that 2025 has delivered.- EndsMust Watch
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First Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- First Post
Watch: Heartwarming moment when Divya Deshmukh shared a touching hug with her mother after clinching the FIDE Women's World Cup
Emotions got the better of Divya Deshmukh as she could not hold back tears after winning the FIDE Women's Chess World Cup. Watch the moment when she met her mother after clinching the coveted title. read more Divya Deshmukh of India rose to prominence on Monday, making distinguished history by securing the FIDE Women's World Cup title. The 19-year-old defeated compatriot Koneru Humpy in the tie-breaker of the final, thereby becoming the first Indian to claim the title. She is also the youngest in the world to achieve the feat, and the day kept becoming better for her as she also attained the final required norm to acquire the coveted Grandmaster's tag. She will be the 88th Grandmaster of India and only the 4th woman GM of the country. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD As the classical games ended in a draw, the pressure was on Divya as Humpy, with all her experience, was the favourite to take the win. However, the teen sensation kept her nerves under control and did not give her opponent an ounce of advantage to capitalise on. She waited, and her persistence finally paid off when Humpy made the blunder in the second game of the tie-breaker. Subsequently, the veteran GM was left with no other option but to resign. Divya Deshmukh fails to hold back tears while hugging mother After attaining the milestone, Divya Deshmukh was overwhelmed with emotions and could not hold back tears. She rushed to meet her mother, and then a heartwarming moment ensued between the mother and daughter. As she relived the magnitude of her achievement, Divya tightly hugged her mother, a moment that transcended words. No words can define the enormity of the moment. It is the relentless hard work that is now flowing in the form of emotions. Having bagged the gold in the FIDE Women's World Cup is just the start of Divya Deshmukh's journey to conquer the world. She has qualified for the Candidates tournament and will be eyeing the opportunity to become the next challenger to reigning five-time World Chess Champion Ju Wenjun of China. Notably, Koneru Humpy has also qualified for the Candidates tournament, setting up another potential showdown between the two Indian Chess GMs as they vie for the top prize.
News18
2 days ago
- Sport
- News18
Im hoping this is just the start: Divya after winning FIDE Womens World Cup
Batumi (Georgia) Jul 28 (PTI) Divya Deshmukh came to the star-studded FIDE Women's World Cup 2025 here as an underdog, hoping to at least win one Grandmaster norm in her journey to become a GM in the future. Little did the 19-year-old from Nagpur know that she would beat some of the best and biggest names in the sport to achieve three major milestones in a span of around three weeks — secure a spot in the Candidates tournament next year, win the prestigious title and in the process, automatically become a Grandmaster. While becoming a GM is one of the toughest things in chess as a player needs to earn three GM norms in FIDE-approved tournaments events and cross the 2500 rating, things fell in place for the talented Nagpur player. FIDE has a rule that the winners of certain elite competitions can avoid the usual norm-and-rating route and become GMs directly. The Women's World Cup is one of those FIDE events where the winner straightaway becomes a GM if not already. 'I need time to process it (victory). It think it was fate me getting the Grandmaster title this way because I didn't even have one norm (coming into the event) and all I was thinking of was 'Oh, when can I get my norm', and now I'm a Grandmaster so…," said Deshmukh, who beat compatriot Koneru Humpy to emerge winner. The youngster had her mother, a doctor, by her side in her moment of glory. She got emotional soon after beating Humpy, a two-time World Rapid champion and embraced her mother in a heartfelt hug, sobbing all along. 'It's hard for me to speak right now. It definitely means a lot, but of course there's a lot more to achieve," said Deshmukh. 'I'm hoping this is just the start." The achievement made Deshmukh only the fourth Indian woman to become a GM after Humpy, Dronavalli Harika and R. Vaishali. PTI AM AM AT AT view comments First Published: July 28, 2025, 19:00 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
NDTV
3 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
FIDE Women's World Cup Final: Koneru Humpy, Divya Deshmukh Draw In Game 1 Of All-India Clash
Young Indian International Master Divya Deshmukh held her nerves to hold stalwart Koneru Humpy to a draw in game 1 of the FIDE Women's World Cup final, with both players having their share of opportunities to take the lead here on Saturday. The draw with black means Humpy, the two-time World Rapid champion, holds a slight edge going in the second and final game under the classical chess rules in the two-game mini-match, and should the deadlock continue, games of shorter duration will be played to determine the winner. Humpy employed the Queen's gambit accepted as black and it turned out to be a pretty fascinating game right out of the opening as Divya, 19, came up with a piece sacrifice early to deny the black king the right to castle. Humpy was the first to err and, according to computers, Divya had things under control on the 14th move. However in her bid to recover the extra material, the Nagpur girl, who has secured a place in the Candidates tournament with her sterling performance here, missed a promising continuation. What followed the exchange of all minor pieces and the ensuing queen and rook endgame gave enough counter play to both players. The game was eventually drawn after Humpy sacrificed her rook to force perpetual checks. "The game saw an extremely sharp battle with the game ending in a draw in 41 moves. On move 7, Divya made her aggressive intentions clear by offering another pawn, which looked like home preparation. Humpy made a practical decision of refraining from taking the pawn and a balanced position was reached by move 10 by white," said Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay, an Arjuna awardee and the first Indian to get a chess Grandmaster norm. "However, instead of developing the undeveloped Knight, Humpy retreated the centralised Knight on move 10, giving huge positional advantage to Divya. Divya could have gained huge positional advantage on the 12th move by moving a rook. However, she chose to play for King side attack by sacrificing a piece instead. "Humpy, too, erred at this stage and instead of moving the King to Queen side, moved it to the King side. Divya, on move 14, could have obtained a crushing attack by threatening a mate by developing her Queen. Instead she chose to exchange a pair of Bishops first, which enabled Humpy to defend her King by returning the piece," said Thipsay. "Players thus reached a balanced Queen and two Rooks ending. Divya continued to play ambitiously and tried to attack Humpy's King but the latter defended accurately and the game was drawn in 41 moves by perpetual check," he added. In the play-off for the third place, Chinese players Zhongyi Tan, the former women's world champion and top seed Lei Tingjie also decided to split points out of a Queen's gambit declined game. The opening raised visions of a close contest between the two but having been knocked out of title race in the previous round, none of them wanted to take any huge risk. It was still a middle game when the players shook hands. With the top two positions sealed for the Indians, the berth to the next Candidates is also assigned, while the player finishing third will also get an entry to the premier event scheduled for 2026. Results: Divya Deshmukh (Ind) drew with Koneru Humpy (Ind); Zhongyi Tan (Chn) drew with Tingjie Lei (Chn).
