Media365
Koneru Humpy scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman to reach the semifinals of the FIDE Women’s Chess World Cup. A composed draw in the second game of her quarterfinal clash against China’s IM Song Yuxin was enough to seal her spot in the final four.Despite a few minor inaccuracies during the game, Humpy maintained control, opting for a safe and strategic approach. Eventually, Yuxin offered a draw — a result that secured Humpy’s historic progression.Humpy had taken the upper hand earlier, winning the first game of the two-game quarterfinal series in Batumi on Saturday night.In another quarterfinal, an all-Indian clash between Harika Dronavalli and rising star Divya Deshmukh remained closely contested. Playing with the white pieces, Divya opted for the Slav Defense: Modern Line, but Harika kept her at bay throughout. The duel stretched to 60 moves before both players agreed to a draw, with no decisive breakthrough.Meanwhile, Vaishali Rameshbabu’s impressive campaign came to an end after she was outplayed by China’s third seed, Tan Zhongyi.Top seed Lei Tingjie of China continued her dominant run, defeating Georgia’s Nana Dzagnidze for a straight path into the semifinals. Humpy will now face Tingjie in a blockbuster semifinal showdown, while Tan Zhongyi awaits the winner of the Harika vs Divya matchup.The stakes are high — the top three finishers at the World Cup will qualify for the Candidates Tournament later this year. With at least one Indian assured of a semifinal berth from the Harika-Divya tie, India is guaranteed representation in the next stage of the world championship cycle.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.
