Women’s Chess World Cup 2025: 5 Reasons Why Koneru vs Divya Final is a Landmark Moment for India

The World No.4 Koneru Humpy and No.18 Divya Deshmukh will lock horns in the much-anticipated all-India final at the Women’s Chess World Cup 2025 in Batumi, Georgia, on Saturday. July 26.

Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh secured their spots in the title clash by defeating their respective Chinese opponents. Divya scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman chess player to qualify for the final by defeating former World Champion Tan Zhongyi in the semifinal, while Koneru followed suit by defeating Lei Tingjie in the top four.

As Koneru and Divya are set for the much-anticipated final at one of the prestigious chess tournaments, let’s take a look at five reasons why it is a landmark moment for India.

For the first time in the history of Indian chess, two players, Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh, will face off in the all-Indian final of the prestigious Chess World Cup. Interestingly, both have reached the final of the prestigious chess tournament for the first time in their career. With two Indian chess players in the World Cup Final, the trophy is already in the hands of India, with either of them set to script history and bring home the trophy for the first time.

The battle for the World Cup title between Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh is expected to be exciting as it pits experience against youthful exuberance. Humpy is a seasoned player and is a World No.4, while Divya is touted as a rising star and among the representatives of the new wave of Indian chess talent. When Koneru Humpy became the first woman chess player to become a Grandmaster in 2002, Divya was not born. Thus, the much-anticipated World Cup final marks a symbolic clash between legacy and the future of Indian chess.

Since the first edition of the Women’s Chess World Cup in 2021, no Chinese players have reached the final. Interestingly, Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh defeated the Chinese opponents to reach their maiden final of the prestigious chess tournament. Indian women players reaching the final of the Chess World Cup is a strong reflection of India’s growing dominance in women’s chess, following their historic gold medal at the Chess Olympics in September last year.

After reaching the final of the Women’s Chess World Cup, Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh secured their spots in the next year’s Candidates. The Candidates Tournament is a qualifying round to make it to the World Chess Championship, bringing them closer to challenging the World title. Either of them will take on the defending world champion, Ju Wenjun of China, in the prestigious tournament, which will take place next year.

One of the key reasons why the all-India final between Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh is a landmark moment for the country is that it ends India’s 23-year wait for a Chess World Cup title, since legend Viswanathan Anand’s second title of the tournament in 2002. With a guaranteed Indian winner in the final 2025, the nation will finally reclaim its place at the summit of World Chess, this time through the brilliance of a women’s player.