It was an all-Indian final at the FIDE Women’s Chess World Cup 2025, and Divya Deshmukh reigned supreme, defeating Koneru Humpy to clinch the title on Monday. The 19-year-old broke down emotionally after her win, and was in tears. She took some time to digest the moment and then got up from her chair to find her mother, who was nearby.
They hugged, and there were tears of joy rolling down Divya’s cheeks, as her mother tried to calm her down. Then, when she finally calmed down, she headed for her post-match interview and was once again unable to control her emotions, showing how important the win was. The win saw her become India’s 88th Grandmaster, something which she had been trying to bag for quite sometime.
Also Read: Divya Deshmukh cries with tears of joy in her mother's arms after defeating Konery Humpy to win Women’s Chess World Cup
Viswanathan Anand lauds Divya Deshmukh
Taking to X, Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand congratulated Divya for her win, and also had a special mention for Humpy.
{{/usCountry}}Taking to X, Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand congratulated Divya for her win, and also had a special mention for Humpy.
{{/usCountry}}“Congratulations to @Divyadeshmukh05 on winning the World Cup. Becoming GM and a spot in the candidates. Amazing battle of nerves. @humpy_koneru played a very good event and showed a commendable fighting spirit . The great champion she is! It was a great celebration of Indian chess, particularly Women's chess”, he wrote.
The final began with both classical games on Saturday and Sunday ending in draws. Then in the tie-breaks, Divya won 1.5-0.5. The first Rapid game ended in a draw, and in the next, Divya bagged a stunning win with the Black pieces to take the title. She had already booked a berth at the Candidates Tournament by qualifying for the finals.
During her post-match interview, she said, “I need time to process it (win). I think it was fate, me getting the Grandmaster title this way because before this (tournament) I didn't even have one (GM) norm, and now I am the Grandmaster.”