Latest news with #Women'sWorldCupFinal
NDTV
3 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Divya Deshmukh Breaks Down After Clinching Historic Chess World Cup Title
Divya Deshmukh became the first Indian woman to clinch the FIDE World Cup title after defeating compatriot Koneru Humpy at Georgia's Batumi on Monday. The final lasted for three days with Divya finally claiming the title via tiebreaks. The victory made Divya eligible to become the fourth woman from India to become a grandmaster. Following two draws on Saturday and Sunday, the first game in the tie-break also ended in a draw. However, Divya produced a brilliant performance to defeat her experienced opponent with a score of 2.5-1.5 in the tiebreaks of the FIDE Women's World Cup Final. Following the victory, Divya was extremely emotional and she broke down in tears before the celebrations started. Divya Deshmukh 🇮🇳 winner of the World Chess Cup and also now a Grandmaster! — Chessdom (@chessdom) July 28, 2025 She is only the fourth woman from India to become a Grandmaster, and the 88th overall. The victory has come at a time when India is riding a wave of success in men's chess, with the likes of world champion D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi producing good results consistently. Deshmukh joins Humpy, Dronavalli Harika and R Vaishali in the list of women who became Grandmasters in the country. By virtue of making it to the Women's World Cup final, Deshmukh also secured a spot in next year's Candidates tournament, which will decide who will take on world champion Ju Wenjun of China in the Women's World Championship. An emotional Deshmukh couldn't hold back her tears following the victory against an opponent twice her age, who fought till the last before losing to the determined youngster. "I need time to process it (win). I think it was fate, me getting the Grandmaster title this way because before this (tournament) I didn't even have one (GM) norm, and now I am the Grandmaster," she said. (With PTI inputs)
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
FIDE Women's World Cup final: Divya holds Humpy, tiebreaker next
International Master Divya Deshmukh gave nothing away and held higher-ranked Grandmaster and compatriot Koneru Humpy to an easy draw on Sunday to force the final into a tie-breaker where games of shorter duration will be played to determine the winner. Koneru Humpy (L) playing against Divya Deshmukh in the FIDE Women's World Cup Final on Sunday(X/FIDE) Divya, who did not make utmost use of her promising opening in the first game of the match, was far more composed against a Queen pawn opening and faced little trouble playing with black pieces. Humpy, got the optical advantage with her pair of bishops out of the opening but Divya knew that if she placed her knights perfectly, white will not be able to create many problems. As it happened in the game after two minor pieces, the pair of rooks also changed hands and the queen-and-minor-piece endgame only offered little hope. Humpy tried to make some headway with a pawn sacrifice in the endgame but in the process her bishop pair was gone, and though a pawn plus, Divya had to cover some weaknesses. After the dust settled, Humpy recovered the pawn back and Divya repeated the position through checks to sign peace in 34 moves. The tiebreaker will see two games of 15 minutes each with a 10 second increment after every move is played. If the scores are still level, the players will play another set of 10 minutes per game with a 10 second increment. If the tie doesn't get resolved, it will be two more games of five minutes plus three second increment. Should the deadlock continue, one game will be played with three minutes to both players with a two second increment unless one player ends up winner. In the play-off for the third place between China's Zhongyi Tan and Lei Tingjie, the match looked headed towards a draw. Results: Koneru Humpy (Ind) drew with Divya Deshmukh (Ind); Lei Tingjie (Chn) playing Tan Zhongyi (Chn).
Time of India
5 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Women's Chess World Cup Final: Divya Deshmukh lets advantage slip, holds Koneru Humpy to hard-fought draw in Game 1
Koneru Humpy vs Divya Deshmukh (Photo @FIDE_chess on X) The first game of the much-anticipated Women's Chess World Cup final between rising star Divya Deshmukh and veteran Grandmaster (GM) Koneru Humpy ended in a draw after a tense and dynamic 41-move battle on Saturday in Batumi, Georgia. 19-year-old International Master (IM), playing with the white pieces, showed plenty of ambition in her first-ever final at this level. She surprised many by choosing an opening (d4) she hadn't used in the tournament so far, a sign that she had come well-prepared for this match. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Humpy, India's top-ranked female player and a veteran of countless high-pressure games, was equally sharp and composed, matching Divya move for move through the middle stages of the game. FIDE Women's World Cup Final, Game 1: As It Happened! Though both players seemed to be heading toward a draw midway through, the game remained tense for nearly three hours. Divya took a long time to make key decisions, using up valuable time on her clock, which seemingly cost her the edge she had in the opening hour of Game 1. Humpy, on the other hand, stayed calm and patient, using her experience to navigate the complications on the board. As the endgame approached, both players had chances to push slightly, but neither was able to break through. At one point, Humpy kept repeating checks with her queen, looking for an opportunity, while Divya declined a draw offer and played on, trying to test Humpy further. But eventually, the position balanced out, and the game ended in a draw after 41 moves and several repetitions. While the result may not have brought fireworks on the scoreboard, it was a solid start to what promises to be a gripping contest between India's past and future in women's chess. Game 2 will be played tomorrow, with Humpy getting the white pieces. The winner will be decided over four classical games, with tiebreaks if needed. Game 1 moves (with Divya playing whites): 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 e5 4. Nf3 Bb4+ 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. Nxe5 b5 7. Be2 Bb7 8. 0-0 Bxc3 9. bxc3 Nxe4 10. Ba3 Nd6 11. Bf3 Qc8 12. Nxc4 bxc4 13. Re1+ Kf8 14. Bxb7 Qxb7 15. Qe2 Nc6 16. d5 h5 17. Rab1 Qa6 18. Bxd6+ cxd6 19. dxc6 Qxc6 20. Rb4 Rc8 21. Qe7+ Kg8 22. Qxa7 Rh6 23. h4 Rg6 24. g3 Qf3 25. Re3 Qd1+ 26. Kg2 Qd5+ 27. Kg1 Qd1+ 28. Kg2 Qd5+ 29. Kg1 Qd1+ 30. Kh2 Rf6 31. Rb2 Qf1 32. Ree2 Rc5 33. Qa8+ Kh7 34. f4 d5 35. Re8 Rb5 36. Rh8+ Kg6 37. Rxb5 Qf2+ 38. Kh3+ Qf1+ 39. Kh2 Qf2+ 40. Kh3+ Qf1+ 41. Kh2 Qf2+ For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Al Jazeera
20-02-2025
- Sport
- Al Jazeera
Spain's ex-football chief Luis Rubiales found guilty of sexual assault
A Spanish court has found former football chief Luis Rubiales guilty of sexual assault for kissing football player Jenni Hermoso without her consent after the 2023 Women's World Cup Final. Rubiales, who was acquitted of coercion, was given a fine of 10,000 euros ($10,455) on Thursday by the Audiencia Nacional court. He was ordered not to go within a 200-metre (660-foot) radius of Hermoso and banned from communicating with her for one year. While Hermoso has stated that the kiss was not consensual and told the court that she felt 'disrespected', Rubiales has refused to acknowledge any wrongdoing, previously referring to calls for his resignation as 'false feminism' and telling the court on Tuesday that he remained 'absolutely sure' that the kiss was consensual. The incident cast a pall over Spain's victory in the 2023 Women's World Cup and set off a debate about sexism faced by female athletes. The 47-year-old Rubiales resigned in September 2023 amid widespread outrage, but continued to take a combative stance in his public statements. Prosecutors had sought jail time for Rubiales, composed of one year for assault and 18 months for coercion, alleging that Rubiales and several prominent Spanish football officials had attempted to coerce Hermoso into saying that the kiss was consensual and downplay the incident. The court declined to sentence Rubiales to prison time and acquitted him and the three co-defendants of coercion. The 34-year-old Hermoso, the all-time top scorer for the Spanish women's team, told the court that the forcible kiss ruined one of the 'happiest days' of her life and that such acts 'should not happen in any social or work setting'.
