FIDE Women’s Chess World Cup: India Becomes First Nation With Four Quarterfinalists
- TPP
- Jul 21
- 2 min read
At the FIDE Women’s Chess World Cup 2025, India has become the first country ever to send four players to the quarterfinals of the prestigious tournament, currently being held in Batumi, Georgia.
The four Indian players who have advanced to the last-eight stage are Grandmasters (GMs) Koneru Humpy, Dronavalli Harika, and R. Vaishali, along with International Master (IM) Divya Deshmukh. All four progressed by winning hard-fought tiebreaks, making this one of the strongest showings by any nation in the tournament’s history.
Quarterfinal Action and Match Summaries
India’s Koneru Humpy, is now just a draw away from reaching the semifinals. She defeated China’s Yuxin Song, a rising 19-year-old International Master, in Game 1 of the quarterfinals through a tactically sharp battle. A draw in Game 2 will be enough to seal her semifinal berth.
In an all-Indian quarterfinal, Divya Deshmukh and Dronavalli Harika played a careful and strategic draw in their first game. With everything on the line, both players will now look for a decisive result in Game 2 to avoid the uncertainties of tiebreaks.
R. Vaishali, who is continuing her rise in international chess, also drew her first quarterfinal game against former Women’s World Champion Tan Zhongyi of China. Vaishali played the longest game of the day, showcasing deep preparation and endurance. She will have the Black pieces in the second game and needs a win to qualify directly to the semifinals.
The Road to the Quarterfinals: India's Path
The journey to the quarterfinals saw each of the Indian players display resilience and tactical brilliance:
Koneru Humpy showed flashes of her classic form in her victory over Alexandra Kosteniuk, a former world champion now representing Switzerland (after transferring from Russia). Humpy sealed the match with a confident 1.5–0.5 score, dominating from the very first round.
Divya Deshmukh, the youngest among the quartet, pulled off a major upset by defeating second seed Zhu Jiner of China. She clinched the first game with the Black pieces, and held her nerve to draw the second with White, winning the match 1.5–0.5. Her performance displayed maturity far beyond her years.
Dronavalli Harika had a dramatic journey, losing the first game as Black to Kateryna Lagno of Russia. However, she bounced back strongly as White to level the score, then won the match in the second tiebreaker by drawing first as Black and then winning as White—showcasing her fighting spirit and experience.
R. Vaishali overcame Meruert Kamalidenova from Kazakhstan to book her spot in the quarterfinals. Known for her aggressive style, Vaishali continues to mature into a formidable force in women’s chess.
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