Koneru Humpy vs Divya Deshmukh, Women’s Chess World Cup Final Live: Tie-break to decide champion today, Divya plays white first
Following a dramatic opening game filled with tactical missteps and recoveries, the second game showcased the depth of both players’ preparation, particularly Divya’s. Despite Humpy having the white pieces and initiating with the English Opening, Divya’s timely shift to the Agincourt Defense and subsequent play in the Semi-Tarrasch variation allowed her to neutralize any early threats.
Humpy, looking to capitalise with her bishop pair, sacrificed a pawn in the middlegame, creating momentary pressure. Divya briefly found herself in a difficult position but showed maturity beyond her years to navigate the complexities and simplify to an equal endgame. Both players traded pieces methodically, and a perpetual check forced the draw in just 34 moves, with a high accuracy rate of 98.8%.
With both classical games drawn, the title will now be decided through rapid and blitz tiebreaks. Humpy, a two-time World Rapid Champion, brings considerable experience, but Divya has already proved her strength in this format by defeating elite players like GM Zhu Jiner and D Harika in earlier rounds. Notably, Divya had also beaten Humpy in 2023 to claim her first Women’s Rapid title.
The tiebreak format includes multiple rapid and blitz games with decreasing time controls, testing speed, accuracy, and nerves. Each round requires one player to outperform the other without a response win to claim the title.
As Divya confidently stated post-match, “She is a strong player. Hoping the tiebreaks go my way.” Monday’s rapid showdown promises a gripping conclusion to a closely contested final between India’s finest, a clash between youthful boldness and veteran resilience.
