Media365
India is guaranteed a historic win at the FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025 as Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh have reached the final after winning their semifinal matches.Divya Deshmukh defeated China’s Tan Zhongyi to book her place in the final. Koneru Humpy advanced by beating Chinese GM Lei Tingjie in the tiebreaks on Thursday.The final will begin on Saturday, July 26 with Game 1, followed by Game 2 on Sunday, July 27. If needed, tiebreaks will be played on Monday, July 28.The winner of the event will receive $50,000, (₹41.6 lakhs) while the runner-up will take home $35,000 (₹29.1 lakhs).Match Format:
- Each player will have 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game.
- A 30-second increment per move will be added from move one.
If the match is tied after two classical games, tiebreaks will follow:
- Two rapid games of 10 minutes + 10-second increment.
- If still tied, two 5-minute + 3-second increment games.
- If required, two blitz games of 3 minutes + 2-second increment.
- If needed, 3+2 blitz games will continue until there is a winner.
Spectators can expect high drama, with the format ensuring a definite champion emerges, no matter how evenly matched the players are.This marks the first time two Indian women have reached the final of the Women’s World Cup, ensuring a major milestone for Indian chess.The strong performance by both players, especially against tough Chinese opponents, highlights India’s rising presence in international chess.
