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FIDE Women’s World Cup Final Game 1: Humpy Holds, Divya Shines
The FIDE Women’s World Cup final started with a thrilling game. Divya Deshmukh came very close to winning in under 25 moves. But Humpy Koneru defended bravely and managed to secure a draw. The second game of the final will be played tomorrow. Humpy will have the white pieces.
After the game, Humpy admitted she was lucky to escape. She said, “She was clearly better after 12.Rb1 instead of 12.Nc4. It was very complicated after that.”
In the third-place match, Tan Zhongyi and Lei Tingjie also drew. They stopped the game just after move 30. Lei will play with the white pieces in the second game. The winner of this match will get the final Candidates spot.
Divya surprises with her opening choice
Divya usually plays 1.e4 in her games. But this time, she surprised everyone by starting with 1.d4. Even more surprising, Humpy chose the Queen’s Gambit Declined. She had not used this defence often since 2005.
Humpy brought it back to her repertoire in 2023. But she lost with it to Lei Tingjie at Norway Chess 2024.
Reflecting on that, Humpy said, “I think she prepared for this and I misplayed the opening. She got a big advantage.”
A sharp tactical battle
Early in the game, Divya played 7.Be2 instead of the usual 7.f3. This move had been played only rarely in top-level games. Humpy thought for around ten minutes and played 7…Bb7.
Divya kept the pressure and offered a pawn sacrifice. This turned the game into a sharp tactical fight.
At one moment, Divya missed a strong continuation that could have given her a big advantage. She played 14.Bxb7? instead of the powerful 14.Qe2!. After this, Humpy found a great defensive move with 16…h5! to equalize.
Divya looked disappointed after the game, knowing she had missed a winning chance. Still, both players stayed to meet fans and take photos.
Tan vs Lei: Battle for the last Candidates spot
In the third-place match, Tan opened with 1.c4. The game moved into the Queen’s Gambit Declined, Exchange Variation. Both players showed excellent preparation and played quickly.
Instead of the usual minority attack with 10.Qc2 and b4-b5, Tan chose 10.a4. This was aimed at playing 11.a5 to control the queenside. Top players like Caruana and Praggnanandhaa have also used this idea recently.
The game slowed in the middlegame. Tan made a couple of small inaccuracies around moves 29 and 30. Lei then gained a slight advantage.
Even so, the position stayed balanced. Lei offered a draw as her clock ran low. The two friends left the hall together, still smiling after the fight.
Follow the action live
You can watch the games live with expert commentary on the FIDE YouTube channel. Commentary is provided by GM Valeriane Gaprindashvili and IM Almira Skripchenko.
About the tournament
The 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup is taking place in Batumi, Georgia. It runs from July 6th to July 28th. A total of 107 players from 46 countries are competing. Seventeen of the world’s top twenty female players are playing. The winner will get $50,000 and a spot in the Candidates.
You can check pairings and results on the official Women’s World Cup website.
Photos: Anna Shtourman, FIDE_chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
