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FIDE Women’s World Cup Round 6: Humpy wins thrilling tiebreak
Indian chess continues to make history!
After tomorrow’s rest day, Humpy Koneru will face Divya Deshmukh in the final of the FIDE Women’s World Cup.
In 2024, India has taken the chess world by storm. First, India won gold in both the Open and Women’s sections at the Budapest Olympiad. Then, teenage superstar Gukesh D became the youngest undisputed World Chess Champion in modern history.
Now, for the first time ever, two Indian players have reached the final of the Women’s World Cup.
On one side, 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh shocked former Women’s World Champion Tan Zhongyi with a 1.5–0.5 victory. On the other side, the experienced Humpy Koneru defeated Lei Tingjie after an epic six-game tiebreak.
Indian chess is not just rising; it’s rewriting the story of global chess.
How Humpy Koneru won the tiebreak
It was a tense battle that lasted six games. Humpy finally won with a score of 5–3 against Lei Tingjie.
The match began with two 15+10 rapid games, both ending in draws. Lei missed a clear win in the first game.
Humpy later admitted:
It was a very tough match. Initially, I played quite badly with the Black pieces and she always had the advantage.
In the 10+10 rapid section, Lei won Game 3.
Humpy bounced back by winning Game 4:
After the loss, it was a very difficult situation, but I was able to come back.
Next came the 5+3 blitz games. With nerves of steel, Humpy won both blitz games to secure her spot in the final.
Key moments from the match
In the first rapid game, Lei Tingjie had a golden chance with 19.Bxh6! but didn’t play it.
The game ended in a draw. The second rapid game was another draw, though Humpy seemed slightly better.
In the third rapid game, Humpy made the mistake 22…h5?. Lei took advantage with 23.Bc4!, won material, and converted it into victory.
In the fourth rapid game, Humpy played accurately. With 38.Qc7!, she avoided traps and forced Lei to resign.
Decisive blitz games
In the fifth game, Lei made a costly mistake with 44…Ra6?. Humpy responded with 45.Qd7!, attacked f7, and after 46.Rc8 won Lei’s queen. If Lei had played 44…Qf8! first, she could have held the draw. In the final blitz game, Humpy kept her cool to complete her 5–3 victory.
Humpy on the final vs Divya
After winning, Humpy said:
I played a bit shaky in the rapid, but she also gave a very good fight. It could have gone either way.
Looking ahead to the all-Indian final, she shared:
I think it’s one of the happiest moments for chess fans because now the title will go to India for sure. But of course, as a player, tomorrow will be quite a tough game as well — Divya has played tremendously well in this whole tournament.
About the tournament
The 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup takes place from July 6th to July 28th in Batumi, Georgia. It features 107 players from 46 federations, including 17 of the world’s top 20 women players. They’re competing for a $50,000 first prize and three places in the Candidates Tournament.
Follow the full results on the official Women’s World Cup website.
Photos: Anna Shtourman, FIDE_chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
