Divya Deshmukh became the first Indian woman to win the FIDE Women’s World Cup title after defeating fellow Indian Koneru Humpy in the final, in Batumi, Georgia. The match lasted for three days and was decided through tiebreaks, with Divya emerging victorious with a score of 2.5 -1.5. The final had two drawn games on Saturday and Sunday, and the first tiebreak game also ended in a draw. However, in the second rapid game of the tiebreak, playing with the black pieces, prevailed, ultimately winning the match. 19 years old Divya was visibly emotional after her victory against an opponent twice her age.

        With this achievement, Divya joins Koneru Humpy, Dronavalli Harika, and R Vaishali as the fourth Indian woman to become a Grandmaster. This victory also made her the 88th person overall to reach this milestone.        

        In addition to winning the World Cup, Divya’s performance earned her a spot in the 2026 Candidates Tournament, where players will compete for the chance to challenge the Women’s World Champion, Ju Wenjun of China.

        Divya’s success adds to the recent achievements of Indian chess players, with notable performances from players like world champion D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, and Arjun Erigaisi.           

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated chess player Divya Deshmukh for winning FIDE Women’s World Chess Champion 2025. In a social media post, the Prime Minister said that he is proud of the young Divya Deshmukh on becoming FIDE Women’s World Chess Champion. He said that chess player Deshmukh’s this remarkable feat, will inspire several youngsters. The Prime Minister also lauded the efforts of chess player Koneru Humpy. He said that player Koneru Humpy has also displayed immense prowess throughout the championship.