Latest news with #Women'sChessWorldCup
Hindustan Times
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Chess: Eyes on the crown
New Delhi: History has already been made. Never before has the final of the FIDE Women's Chess World Cup had two players from India. But for one of these players, it promises to get even better. Nineteen-year-old Divya Deshmukh will be up against compatriot Koneru Humpy in the summit clash. (FIDE) For now, with the crown in sight, world No.5 Koneru Humpy and world No.18 Divya Deshmukh share one dream but there is much that separates the two. The differences begin with their age — Humpy, at 38, is twice the age of the 19-year-old Deshmukh. In fact, at the age of 15, the former had become India's first woman to attain the GM title in 2002 — three years before Deshmukh was born. Not that it matters as much as current form but experience will certainly be a factor in the final and the veteran calm of Humpy may be crucial. Before every game, Humpy takes her seat at the table and closes her eyes in a meditative pose. There is a video of Lei Tingjie trying her best not to disturb the Indian before Game 1 of the semi-final — it was part funny and part a window into how the reigning world rapid champion operates in a different space. On the other hand, Deshmukh was a bundle of nerves in the semi-final against Tan Zhongyi but importantly, she managed to pull through when it mattered most. The game had blunders and missed opportunities but the one who made the last mistake lost. Deshmukh beat GM Harika Dronavalli (Round 5) and GM Zhu Jiner (round 4) in tie-breakers and that clearly is a plus in the fighting spirit column. While Humpy's all-round solidity is the bedrock of her success in classical chess, Deshmukh prefers to take the attacking approach. She doesn't shy away from taking risks and in that sense, it will be a clash of styles that will pit cold calculation against fearless aggression. Given that the final is expected to be a gruelling, long-winded affair, the extra day's rest that Deshhmukh earned after winning her semi-final in the classical section itself could be important. India rising Humpy is to Indian women's chess what Viswanathan Anand is to Indian chess in general. She became the youngest woman in the world to become a GM back in 2002 (breaking Judit Polgar's record) and is still the top-ranked Indian player at world No.5. But for a long time, she was the sole force. India would go to events such as the Olympiad not as contenders but as mere participants. A new generation of players, from Vaishali R to Deshmukh herself, are changing that now. They grew up watching Humpy and now they want to beat her. This, too, will be a challenge that will excite Deshmukh. Any young star worth her salt will want to take down a legend for that is what sets down on the path to big things. The Nagpur teen has shown that she can be a dangerous player when on a hot streak — as she is right now. At that point, she tends to take rankings and reputations out of the picture. In 2023, she won the Asian continental women's title and despite coming in as a last-minute replacement and being the lowest seed, took the top position in the Tata Steel women's rapid section ahead of women's reigning world champion Ju Wenjun. In 2024, she won the world U-20 girls chess championship, staying unbeaten and taking sole first place with 10/11 points. But Humpy's resurgence is not one to be scoffed at either. After struggling for most of 2024, she finished the year with the World Rapid title and hasn't looked back since. A legend rediscovering her love for the game is a compelling story in its own right. There will also be the added incentive for Deshmukh — she will get the GM title directly if she wins the title. India currently has only three female Grandmasters — Humpy, Harika and Vaishali. At so many levels, this will be a battle of contrasts and watching it play out will be a moment to remember — for the players and for India.
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
‘Chinese semi-finalists vanquished': Anand Mahindra can't keep calm as its India vs India in Chess World Cup final. Who are they?
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Who is Koneru Humpy? Who is the teenager, Divya Deshmukh? India is guaranteed a historic victory at the 2025 FIDE Women's Chess World Cup — because both finalists are Indian. In a landmark moment for the sport, 38-year-old chess icon Koneru Humpy will face off against 19-year-old rising star Divya Deshmukh in an all-Indian finale that has electrified the chess world. The final is scheduled to begin on Saturday, July 26, at 4:30 p.m. IST. Anand Mahindra couldn't hold back his excitement and took to X (formerly Twitter), writing, 'Both Chinese semi-finalists vanquished… It's going to be an all-Indian Final at the FIDE Women's World Cup 2025! Divya Deshmukh vs Humpy Koneru. This is just awesome…'The clash is not only a celebration of Indian chess but also a guaranteed first — whichever way the result swings, India will claim the Women's World Cup title for the very first Humpy, one of India's most decorated players, booked her place in the final after a gritty comeback against China's Lei Tingjie in the semifinals. Known for her cool head and precision in rapid formats, Humpy used her experience to outplay her opponent in the the other hand, Divya Deshmukh's rise has been nothing short of meteoric. The teenage sensation has already earned her Grandmaster norm and is just one win away from becoming India's fourth woman Grandmaster. With this final, she becomes the first Indian to reach the Women's World Cup final — and possibly the youngest winner yet.
NDTV
2 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Divya Deshmukh Makes History, Storms Into FIDE Women's Chess World Cup Final
International Master Divya Deshmukh stormed into the final of the FIDE Women's Chess World Cup, defeating former world champion Zhongyi Tan of China in the second game of the semifinals and winning the mini-match 1.5-0.5 in Batumi, Georgia on Wednesday. In the process, Divya became the first Indian to make it to the Candidates' tournament. The stakes are high as the final berth also ensured her entry in the women's Candidates' tournament next year that will decide the challenger to Wenjun Ju, the reigning women's world champion. Having already eliminated second seed Zoner Jhu of China and then compatriot Grandmaster D Harika in the quarterfinals, Divya continued to be the giant slayer of the event and her game against Tan was a testament to her growing chess skills. With the Indian boys making a great headway at the top of the chess world, it was already time for the girls to have a say and Divya is the new girl on the block after R Vaishali. It was tricks and strategy at display by Divya as she converted to an Alapin Sicilian as white and her time exchange of Bishops for knights guaranteed a pawn plus endgame. Tan had her chances in the middle game but the former women's world champion did not make use of them and at some point simply missed the thread of the position. As the endgame arrived, Divya had a couple of extra pawns to coast but Tan remained resourceful right till the end of the game. Divya had an outside passed pawn after the dust subsided and it should have been an easy picking, but the fortunes fluctuated a lot. For the record, the game lasted 101 moves. In the second semifinal, Koneru Humpy drew with top seed Tingjie Lei of China. Playing white, Humpy faced the Slav defense and went for the iconic exchange variation that normally yields to either equal or giving white the better prospect. The opening yielded nothing special for Humpy but she got the Bishop pair against two knights to prepare for an advantage. The Queens were traded as early as on 19th move and the payers eventually reached a rook and pawn endgame wherein the Indian enjoyed an extra pawn. However, with the extra pawn not so relevant, Lei stayed in the loop as the position was not changing much. The draw was a just result when Humpy had just one extra pawn remaining in the rook and pawns endgame and the point was split after 75 moves. Humpy will now play the tie-breaker against Lei in shorter format.
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Business Standard
4 days ago
- Sport
- Business Standard
FIDE Women's World Cup: Humpy enters semifinals after draw with Song
Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy played out a fine counterattacking game to hold International Master Yuxin Song of China and march into the semifinals of the FIDE Women's Chess World Cup here on Sunday. Having won the first game with white pieces, Humpy was only a draw away from reaching the last four stage, and she achieved it after a keenly contested second game against the Chinese. With fourth place assured, Humpy will get two chances to reach the top three which will also guarantee her a place at next Women's Candidates' tournament for which the top three from here qualify. The all-Indian duel between Grandmaster D Harika and IM Divya Deshmukh ended in a draw which means that the two will battle it out in the tie-break games scheduled for Monday. Grandmaster R Vaishali ran out of luck as she lost from slightly better prospects against former world women's champion Zhongyi Tan of China. Vaishali who had drawn the first game lost by the same score as Song. Apart from Tan, top seed Tingjie Lei of China also made it to the semifinals at the expense of Nana Dzagnidze of Georgia. Yuxin Song had to win to stay in the hunt against Humpy and her preferred choice was the Jobava's London, an opening that is fancied these days by many strong Grandmasters. Humpy equalised without much ado but then sacrificed two pawns in tandem to give white some hopes. However, Song's pawn structure was really broken with three pawns standing on a sole file and Humpy found her counter play in the centre. Recovering the pawns Humpy was happy to lead the game to a level rook and pawns endgame. Song tried in vain for 53 moves before splitting the point. Vaishali took her chances in the middle game and got the dynamic balance she was looking for. However, resourceful as she is, Tan capitalised on an unforced error to gain the upper hand. Vaishali again got some chances according to the computer but it was always a tall order to find all correct moves. Harika tried safely as white and like the previous game the players reached a drawn rook and pawns endgame. Interestingly this is the only match that goes into tie-break games of shorter duration which also means that there will be two Indians in the semifinals. Quarterfinal results: Koneru Humpy (Ind) beat Yuxin Song (Chn) 1.5-0.5; Nana Dzagnidze (Geo) lost to Tingjie Lei (Chn) 0-2; R Vaishali (Ind) lost to Tan Zhongyi (Chn) 0.5-1.5; Divya Deshmukh (Ind) drew with D Harika (Ind) 1-1 goes to tiebreaker.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
FIDE Women's World Cup: Koneru Humpy marches into semifinals after draw with Song
Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy played out a fine counterattacking game to hold International Master Yuxin Song of China and march into the semifinals of the FIDE Women's Chess World Cup here on Sunday. Having won the first game with white pieces, Humpy was only a draw away from reaching the last four stage, and she achieved it after a keenly contested second game against the Chinese. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Degree Leadership Data Science Data Science Design Thinking Artificial Intelligence Digital Marketing Finance Project Management others MCA PGDM Cybersecurity Others Product Management Public Policy MBA Management Healthcare CXO Skills you'll gain: Data-Driven Decision-Making Strategic Leadership and Transformation Global Business Acumen Comprehensive Business Expertise Data-Driven Decision-Making Strategic Leadership and Transformation Global Business Acumen Comprehensive Business Expertise Duration: 2 Years University of Western Australia UWA Global MBA Starts on Jun 28, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Data-Driven Decision-Making Strategic Leadership and Transformation Global Business Acumen Comprehensive Business Expertise Duration: 2 Years University of Western Australia UWA Global MBA Starts on Jun 28, 2024 Get Details With fourth place assured, Humpy will get two chances to reach the top three which will also guarantee her a place at next Women's Candidates' tournament for which the top three from here qualify. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like War Thunder - Register now for free and play against over 75 Million real Players War Thunder Play Now Undo The all-Indian duel between Grandmaster D Harika and IM Divya Deshmukh ended in a draw which means that the two will battle it out in the tie-break games scheduled for Monday. Grandmaster R Vaishali ran out of luck as she lost from slightly better prospects against former world women's champion Zhongyi Tan of China. Vaishali who had drawn the first game lost by the same score as Song. Live Events Apart from Tan, top seed Tingjie Lei of China also made it to the semifinals at the expense of Nana Dzagnidze of Georgia. Yuxin Song had to win to stay in the hunt against Humpy and her preferred choice was the Jobava's London, an opening that is fancied these days by many strong Grandmasters. Humpy equalised without much ado but then sacrificed two pawns in tandem to give white some hopes. However, Song's pawn structure was really broken with three pawns standing on a sole file and Humpy found her counter play in the centre. Recovering the pawns Humpy was happy to lead the game to a level rook and pawns endgame. Song tried in vain for 53 moves before splitting the point. Vaishali took her chances in the middle game and got the dynamic balance she was looking for. However, resourceful as she is, Tan capitalised on an unforced error to gain the upper hand. Vaishali again got some chances according to the computer but it was always a tall order to find all correct moves. Harika tried safely as white and like the previous game the players reached a drawn rook and pawns endgame. Interestingly this is the only match that goes into tie-break games of shorter duration which also means that there will be two Indians in the semifinals. Quarterfinal results: Koneru Humpy (Ind) beat Yuxin Song (Chn) 1.5-0.5; Nana Dzagnidze (Geo) lost to Tingjie Lei (Chn) 0-2; R Vaishali (Ind) lost to Tan Zhongyi (Chn) 0.5-1.5; Divya Deshmukh (Ind) drew with D Harika (Ind) 1-1 goes to tiebreaker.
