Tension Builds as Divya and Humpy Hold Strong in Women’s World Cup Semifinals
What a dramatic and intense day at the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup Semifinals! We’re now down to just four players, and only three will move on to the prestigious 2026 Women’s Candidates. Game one of the semifinals was all about resilience and nerves of steel as both Indian stars—Divya Deshmukh and Koneru Humpy—secured hard-fought draws against their formidable Chinese opponents.
Let’s talk about Divya first. Still riding the emotional wave from her thrilling 2-0 tiebreak win over Harika Dronavalli in the quarterfinals, the 19-year-old prodigy was up against former world champion Tan Zhongyi. With the black pieces, Divya played confidently, and the game ended in a relatively quick draw. While this might sound like a win from a match strategy point of view—drawing with Black is often considered a favorable outcome—Divya herself wasn’t too thrilled. In the post-game interview, she said, “It’s okay, I guess,” hinting at the fact that she wanted more. She handled an unusual move from Tan, the early 13.b4, with clarity and ease, and the game fizzled into an equal endgame. Solid performance, but you could tell Divya had more ambition.
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Over on the other board, Koneru Humpy had a longer and far more complicated battle against Lei Tingjie. Opening with the rarely seen Mortimer Variation of the Berlin Defense, Humpy came out swinging, even offering a pawn sacrifice early on. It was bold and unexpected, and Lei, to her credit, chose not to bite. The critical turning point came when Humpy played 17...Nde5?, inviting 18.f4—what looked like a mistake but turned out to be the best chance for White. Lei didn’t go for it, and that tiny window closed. In the end, it was Humpy who seemed to have a touch of pressure, but the game leveled out.
Humpy was candid afterward: “It was quite a tough game. At some points, I felt I was okay, then I felt it was a bit dubious... but once I got ...a6, ...c5, ...Bf5, I had everything under control.” Considering she doesn’t usually play the Berlin, this was an impressive and gutsy call.
With both matches drawn, we head into game two with everything on the line. A win for either Indian player would put them into the final—and the 2026 Candidates—without needing tiebreaks. But if we see more draws, Thursday promises to be even more nerve-wracking with rapid and blitz tiebreaks in play.
Regardless of how this ends, it’s already a historic moment for Indian chess. Having both Divya and Humpy in the semifinals is massive, and their performances are a testament to how far women’s chess in India has come. The poise, the creativity, the bravery in opening choices—it's inspiring to watch.
Game two kicks off tomorrow, and I genuinely can’t wait. Eyes will be glued to the boards. This is more than just chess—it’s pressure, strategy, nerves, and a shot at history.
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