After 3 intense weeks of knockout chess featuring 107 of the world’s best players from 46 countries, the World Cup has delivered a finale no one could have scripted better: an all-Indian final for the very first time in history.
Yes, you heard that right - two Indian stars have risen above a stacked field that included reigning world champions, Olympiad medalists, and seasoned grandmasters. This is a proud moment not just for India, but for women’s chess worldwide.
♟️ On one side, the legend: GM Koneru Humpy, a trailblazer in Indian chess, former World Rapid Champion, and a symbol of consistency, composure, and class.
⚡ On the other, the phenom: IM Divya Deshmukh, just 19 years old, making her World Cup debut, and already the first Indian woman to reach this stage - now one step away from history.
This isn’t just about a trophy. At stake: the World Cup title, a $50,000 top prize, and a golden ticket to the 2026 Women’s Candidates Tournament - the gateway to the world championship match.
📝 The format is brutal: two classical games. If the score is tied, we go to rapid and blitz tiebreaks. Game 1? A high-voltage draw. Divya played with bold intent, Humpy defended like a fortress. Tensions ran high, but nothing was settled.
That brings us to today - Game 2. One game, 90 minutes on the clock, and the weight of legacy and ambition pressing on every move. A draw takes us to tiebreaks. A win decides it all.
So buckle in. This isn’t just a chess match - it’s a generational battle, a celebration of Indian excellence, and possibly, a crowning moment we’ll talk about for years!
Divya replies classically - taking space in the center right away. This move hints that she’s ready for solid, traditional structures - possibly aiming to transpose into a Queen’s Gambit Declined or Slav-like setup.
Humpy's Subtle Advance Humpy advances her pawn with nuance, reinforcing her central control without yet committing to a full-fledged central pawn push.
Divya develops her knight toward the center, strengthening her control of the board and activating one of her minor pieces.
With this pawn push, Humpy signals her intent to contest central control. It’s a quiet move on the surface, but it lays the groundwork for deeper tension to unfold - a classic setup with dynamic potential.
Humpy develops her queenside knight toward the center.
Divya plays a flexible move early in the game. It may look quiet, but it carries strategic intent - preparing a potential expansion to gain queenside space.
Humpy moves her pawn, aiming to fianchetto her light-squared bishop, reinforcing the center and long diagonal. This structure echoes the Zukertort/Colle-London blend, known for slow builds and sudden central breaks. She’s keeping things positional and flexible and not rushing to clarify the center just yet.
Divya develops her Knight, the most natural move - but it also carries weight. The knight hits the central squares and helps back up her earlier c-pawn push.
Humpy challenges the heart of the board with a central pawn push!
Divya develops her light-squared bishop with immediately creating a pin on Humpy's knight.
With a quiet yet purposeful Bishop move, Humpy defuses the pressure on her Knight. At the same time, she smoothly develops her piece and sets the stage for safe kingside castling.
Divya opts for the immediate exchange - Bishop for Knight. It's a practical decision that simplifies the position and relieves tension.
Humpy retakes with her Bishop, keeping her structure clean.
Divya brings out her dark-squared bishop, pinning Humpy’s knight and subtly laying the groundwork for kingside castling.
A moment of calm in a sharp position - Humpy castles kingside, bringing her King to shelter.
Divya trades off another minor piece, steering the game into a dynamic imbalance: her two Knights now face off against Humpy’s bishop pair.
Simplification Brings a New Balance ⚔️
A flurry of trades has cleared the board - the early tension has eased, and we now arrive at a position where both Kings are safely castled, and two open files offer future opportunities for the Rooks to spring into action.
What's most intriguing? We now have a battle of styles: Humpy holds the two Bishops, while Divya commands two Knights!
Now both Kings are safe and out of the center. With development nearly complete, the stage is set for the midgame to begin in full force. The position is balanced, but the tension is simmering beneath the surface.
Humpy Activates Her Queen 👑
With this queen move, Humpy smoothly brings her queen into play, completing her development and connecting the Rooks.
Divya brings her Rook to the forefront, staking firm control over the open e-file.
Humpy brings her Rook to the open file locking eyes with Divya’s already-posted Rook.
With this calm Queen move, Divya solidifies her position and connects her Rooks.
Humpy opts for a quiet yet purposeful pawn move. By pushing the h-pawn, she creates a safe escape square for her King and takes the sting out of any future back-rank dangers.
We’re witnessing a well-matched battle so far: the position is level, and neither player seems rattled. Both Humpy and Divya are moving with confidence and speed, signaling strong preparation and mutual respect.
With her Rook sliding to the open file, Humpy brings her final piece into play.
By exchanging one pair of Rooks, Divya nudges the game toward clarity. The remaining rooks aren't facing off just yet - but with one more move, she could line them up and invite another trade!
Humpy retakes the Rook, keeping control over the e-file. The position remains balanced.
With her remaining Rook swinging back to e-file, Divya signals she's not done with the open file. The stage is set for a possible repeat of the earlier exchange!
Humpy continues with the simplifying theme, exchanging the second set of Rooks. A practical decision in a balanced position, narrowing the playing field and bringing us closer to an endgame.
Divya recaptures swiftly with her Queen. The board is now quieter, with both sides having Queen, two minor pieces, and pawns. Central tension remains, but it's now a battle of plans and patience.
Humpy brings her queen to an active and slightly aggressive post, eyeing Divya's central pawn.
With this move, Divya offers a queen trade, steering the game toward simplification. Could this be a quiet path to a peaceful draw, or is there more drama yet to unfold?
With a thoughtful queen retreat, Humpy politely says “no thanks” to the Queen exchange. By keeping her queen active on the board, she maintains pressure and signals that she’s still playing for more. The position remains balanced, but the psychological message is clear - Humpy is not ready to simplify just yet.
Divya centralizes her knight, aiming to increase activity and provoke exchanges.
Humpy removes the intruder, and Divya’s central pawn replaces it.
Humpy finds a clever tactical route to activate her Bishop - can you spot the idea once Divya snaps up the undefended pawn?
Humpy unveils a double threat: looming checkmate on the kingside and an annoying check on the queenside.
After an 18-minute think, Divya plays the defensive pawn move, stopping threats on the kingside.
Humpy places her queen on an active square, delivering a straightforward check.
Divya retreats her knight to a more passive square, but successfully defends the critical pawn. With that, the nature of the position begins to shift - Divya holds a material edge with an extra pawn, while Humpy counters with piece activity.
Humpy makes a quiet queen move - calm on the surface, but laced with danger. She subtly sets up a threat to the knight, which is pinned and vulnerable to a bishop attack. The pressure builds!
Both players are handling the clock with poise - each hovering around the 31-minute mark. Tension on the board, composure on the clock!
Humpy brings her bishop into the action, eyeing Divya’s knight and subtly increasing the pressure on Black’s position.
Divya wisely moves her King, stepping out of the pin
and untying her Knight. The tension rises, but both sides remain balanced on a tactical knife's edge.
Humpy activates her queen, placing it on a commanding square. From here, it eyes multiple targets - especially the Knight, which remains tied down in passive defense.
Divya finds the only move that keeps the position level! It’s the best response under pressure and the eval bar confirms: the game remains dead equal.
Humpy calmly moves her Bishop out of danger, simultaneously targeting Divya’s Knight.
Divya reroutes her Knight to safety, bringing it into the game actively. In return, she concedes her extra pawn.
Humpy recaptures the pawn, restoring material balance.
A threefold repetition is now looming on the horizon. Will the players repeat moves and agree to a draw, or is one of them looking for more? The next few moves will reveal their intentions.
GM Koneru Humpy and IM Divya Deshmukh battled fiercely in Game 2, but neither side blinked. From early middlegame trades to a precise endgame dance, both players showcased top-class control and razor-sharp calculation.
The game culminated in a tense queen endgame, with both sides teetering on the edge - but neither cracked. A handshake followed on move 34: a well-earned draw.
With both classical games ending in a tie, the match now heads to Rapid tiebreaks tomorrow! ⚡
The pace will quicken, the pressure will mount, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Get ready for fireworks. Stay tuned as we bring you full coverage and electrifying move-by-move live commentary when this FIDE Women's World Cup 2025 battle resumes! ♟🔥