Koneru Humpy: First-ever Indian to reach FIDE Women’s World Cup semifinals

India’s Koneru Humpy during Game 2 of her FIDE Women’s World Cup Quarterfinal against China’s Yuxin Song in Batumi, Georgia, on Sunday. | Photo Credit: Anosov Andrei/FIDE

Koneru Humpy made history on Sunday in Batumi, Georgia, by becoming the first-ever Indian to reach the semifinals of the FIDE Women’s World Cup. The current India No. 1, Humpy secured her place in the final four after drawing her second classical game against China’s Yuxin Song, following her victory in the first. With a scoreline of 1.5–0.5, she clinched the two-game match without needing tiebreaks.

In the game, Song, playing White, opted for the Jobava’s London—a modern and aggressive opening system that has gained popularity among top Grandmasters (GMs). Despite the dynamic choice, Humpy, handling the black pieces, equalized the position efficiently. She later went on to sacrifice two pawns in succession, creating a temporary initiative for White. However, Song’s pawn structure became severely compromised, with three pawns stranded on a single file, reducing their effectiveness. Humpy capitalized on this structural weakness, recovering the material and steering the game into a balanced rook-and-pawn endgame—a phase in chess where only rooks and pawns remain on the board, demanding precise calculation and technique.

The encounter lasted 53 moves, with Song pressing in vain before the game ended in a draw, sealing Humpy’s progression. She will now face the top-seeded Chinese player, Lei Tingjie, who convincingly defeated local favorite Nana Dzagnidze with a 2–0 score in their quarterfinal clash.

Meanwhile, R. Vaishali, also representing India and playing with the black pieces, bowed out of the tournament after losing her second classical game to China’s Tan Zhongyi. Tan advanced with a 1.5–0.5 match win.

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The tournament also featured an all-Indian quarterfinal clash between Harika Dronavalli and Divya Deshmukh, both of whom played out draws in both classical games. As a result, their contest will head into tiebreaks, a faster-paced format involving rapid or blitz games to break the deadlock. This crucial match is scheduled for Monday, July 21, at 4:35 PM IST. The winner will move on to face Tan Zhongyi in the semifinals.

It is worth noting that Humpy’s achievement surpasses the previous best performance by an Indian woman in the FIDE Women’s World Cup, which came from Harika Dronavalli, who reached the quarterfinals in 2023.

Significantly, the ongoing World Cup offers three qualification spots for the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament, set to be held in the first half of 2026. This tournament determines who will challenge the reigning Women’s World Champion. With three Indian players among the final five competitors, India is guaranteed at least one spot in that prestigious event—a testament to the country's rising stature in women’s chess.

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