In a thrilling all-Indian final at the FIDE Women’s Chess World Cup, 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh defeated veteran Koneru Humpy on Monday, securing the prestigious title and earning her Grandmaster status. This victory makes her India’s 88th Grandmaster.

Tense Final Goes to Tie-Breakers

The match between the two Indian stars was neck-and-neck from the beginning. The classical games held on Saturday and Sunday ended in hard-fought draws. As a result, the championship moved into a rapid tie-breaker round. Divya kept her cool under pressure. She first drew the opening rapid game and then clinched the second one with the Black pieces, securing a 1.5-0.5 victory overall.

“I need time to process it”: Divya Reflects on Her Win

After her emotional win, Divya shared her thoughts in a heartfelt statement. She admitted, “I need time to process it. I think it was fate, me getting the Grandmaster title this way.” She added that before this tournament, she didn’t even have a single Grandmaster norm and was unsure where she would earn one. “Now I’m a Grandmaster,” she said, amazed by how things turned out. Still, Divya remained humble and acknowledged areas for improvement. She admitted, “I definitely need to learn endgames. I’m pretty sure at some point I messed it up. I’m not sure how. It should have been an easy win.” She explained her thought process and noted, “I think maybe I should just go rook a3, rook f3, rook g3, and that should be a win.” Looking ahead, she said, “It definitely means a lot. But of course, there’s a lot more to achieve. So I’m hoping this is just a start.”

Humpy Cracks Under Pressure

The tie-breaker was a true test of nerves. In the first game, Divya put Humpy under pressure from the beginning. Then, in the second, she gained a decisive edge around the 40th move. Humpy, feeling the pressure, made a crucial blunder in the endgame while also running out of time.

Emotions Run High After Victory

The moment Divya won, she burst into tears. Overwhelmed by emotion, she went straight into her mother’s arms and the two hugged as she continued crying. Her mother comforted her as the significance of the moment sank in.