FIDE Women’s World Cup to have an Indian winner for first time

History.

That is one word you may have come across often in write-ups or discussions on Indian chess for the last year or so. There has been the incredible twin gold, for the men’s and women’s teams, at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest, D. Gukesh’s World championship victory in Singapore.

When is Divya Deshmukh vs Koneru Humpy FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025 final? 

And yet, the history that was made in the Georgian city of Batumi on Thursday (July 24, 2025) evening, at the women’s World Cup, is really special. Because it is more of Her Story.

While India is the dominant force in men’s chess – or rather, open chess – that isn’t quite the case in the women’s game. China is the undoubted superpower in women’s chess. All the last three World champions are from China; half the world’s top 10 women are Chinese, and there is only one Indian.

The World Cup final, starting on Saturday (July 26, 2025), however, is an all-Indian affair. Koneru Humpy, the World No. 5, takes on Divya Deshmukh, No. 18. They both overcame Chinese rivals in the semifinals, over Lei Tingjie and Tan Zhongyi, respectively.

And it is a battle between generations, too. Humpy is 38. Divya is 19.

While the older woman has established herself as one of the world’s greatest female players of all time in a career that has spanned over three decades, and she continues to overpower opponents who are much younger (she won the World rapid championship recently), the teenager is one of the game’s rising stars.

They both showed exceptional skills and nerves of steel to move to the final of this demanding knock-out tournament that featured most of the world’s top players.

Their battle should provide some fascinating chess. Whichever way the final goes, towards Vijayawada or Nagpur, it should be a memorable one for the Indian sports fan.

It is not every day that the final of a major event has two Indians.