Historic Matchup

In a groundbreaking event for Indian chess, the FIDE Women’s World Cup final will witness two Indian players—Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh—competing against each other. This represents the first instance in the tournament’s history where two participants from India will vie for the championship title, ensuring that the trophy will definitely go to India.

Path to the Final

Koneru Humpy’s Journey

Humpy, the 38-year-old Grandmaster, has reached the final after an impressive performance throughout the tournament. She overcame China’s Tingjie Lei in a tense semifinal that ended in a tie-breaker. Additionally, her journey included defeating former world champion Alexandra Kosteniuk and Yuxin Song.

Divya Deshmukh’s Rise

On the other hand, 19-year-old International Master Deshmukh made headlines by knocking out several top-ranking players, including second seed Jiner Zhu and former world champion Zhongyi Tan, showcasing her talent and determination in the process.

Quotes from the Players

Koneru expressed her excitement for the final, stating, “It’s one of the happiest moments for chess fans because now the title will go to India for sure. But of course, as a player, tomorrow will be quite a tough game as well—Divya has played tremendously well in this whole tournament.”

Deshmukh shared her thoughts on reaching the final, saying, “I just need some sleep and some food; these days have been so anxious for me. I think I could have played much better.” She acknowledged the complexity of her recent matches, noting, “I messed up in the middlegame and that I should have had a much smoother win.”

Match Format and Schedule

The final will be conducted in Classical Chess format over two days: Saturday (July 26) and Sunday (July 27). If necessary, a tie-breaker will take place on Monday, July 28.

Format Details

• Each player has 90 minutes for the first 40 moves.
• Afterward, an additional 30 minutes is added for the remainder of the game.
• Players will receive a 30-second increment for each move beginning from move one.

Tiebreak Format

• Two Rapid games of 10 minutes each, with a 10-second increment per move.
• If still tied, two additional 5-minute games with a 3-second increment will be played.
• Finally, two Blitz games of 3 minutes each will follow, with a 2-second increment, continuing until a winner is declared.

Live Streaming and Prize Money

The FIDE Women’s World Cup final can be watched live on FIDE’s official YouTube channel.

The champion will receive a prize of $50,000 (approximately Rs 41.6 lakh), while the runner-up will take home $35,000 (around Rs 29.1 lakh).