Divya Deshmukh Vs Koneru Humpy Highlights, FIDE Women's Chess World Cup Final: Humpy Seals Draw, All Eyes On Game 2

Welcome and thank you for joining us for what will no doubt be a match to remember in Indian chess history. Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh have guaranteed a first-time Indian winner at the Women's Chess World Cup, and will lock horns for the title over two rounds. Stay with us for the build-up and live updates from Game 1.

The match starts at around 4:45pm IST. Live streaming for the FIDE Women's Chess World Cup final between Divya Deshmukh and Koneru Humpy will start at 4:30pm IST on the FIDE chess YouTube channel. The match will not be telecast on any TV channel in India.

Deshmukh beat compatriot Harika Dronavalli 3-1 in the quarter-finals before battling past China's Tan Zhongyi 1.5-0.5 in the semis. As for Humpy, she overcame Chinese opponents in the last eight as well as last four stage: first Yuxin Song by a 1.5-0.5 margin, then Lei Tingjie 5-3.

Game 1 gets underway. Humpy is playing with black pieces, which means Deshmukh starts off. The 19-year-old goes with a Queen's Gambit opening, and the senior pro accepts it.

Here are the first six moves by each player (Deshmukh, then Humpy):

1. d4 d5

2. c4 dxc4

3. e4 e5

4. Nf3 Bb4+

5. Nc3 Nf6

6. Nxe5 b5

1. d4 d5

2. c4 dxc4

3. e4 e5

4. Nf3 Bb4+

5. Nc3 Nf6

6. Nxe5 b5

7. Be2 Bb7

8. O-O

Divya tucks her king away safely with kingside castling. 8. 0-0 done and dusted. That’s a major milestone in the early game, especially in this sharp line of the Queen’s Gambit Accepted where the centre is still wide open and both players are jostling for control. It’s a sensible, get-out-of-trouble-early kind of move.

Humpy had just dropped back with, Bb7, a little too safe, maybe, and now Divya has nudged ahead in the race to finish development.

Divya’s chair is empty for now, she’s stepped away after a confident start, leaving the board with a 15-minute lead on the clock. That alone speaks volumes. While she’s been blitzing through the early moves, Humpy remains seated, chin resting on hand, deep in calculation.

We’re only eight moves in, but the position is already razor-sharp, and time management could become a decisive factor later.

So far, Divya’s smooth pace suggests she’s walking on home prep. Humpy, meanwhile, is taking no chances, double-checking every critical line before committing. But we all know that's just her style.

We’ve just had a big exchange in the centre. Humpy takes on c3 with her bishop, and after Divya recaptures with the b-pawn, Humpy immediately jumps in with Nxe4, grabbing the central pawn and challenging White's control.

That’s the first real punch from Humpy today. Divya still has a lead on the clock and her king is tucked away, but she’s got to react now. The queenside structure’s a bit loose, and Humpy’s knight is sitting pretty in the centre. Tension is building, the game is on.

1. d4 - d5

2. c4 - dxc4

3. e4 - e5

4. Nf3 - Bb4+

5. Nc3 - Nf6

6. Nxe5 - b5

7. Be2 - Bb7

8. O-O - Bxc3

9. bxc3 - Nxe4

The roles have flipped. After that sharp Nxe4 from Humpy, it’s Divya who’s deep in thought now, eyes fixed on the board, calculating her response. Meanwhile, Humpy’s out of her chair, looking relaxed after landing the first tactical shot of the game.

Divya’s got to figure out how to deal with that central knight and the slightly messy queenside pawns. Is there a clean way to regain control, or will she have to concede some ground to keep the position stable?

1. d4 (Divya Deshmukh) d5 (Koneru Humpy)

2. c4 dxc4

3. e4 e5

4. Nf3 Bb4+

5. Nc3 Nf6

6. Nxe5 b5

7. Be2 Bb7

8. O-O Bxc3

9. bxc3 Nxe4

10. Ba3

After a long think, 27 minutes on the clock, Divya plays the engine-approved Ba3. It’s precise, it’s thematic, but it comes at a cost. Her earlier time advantage is gone. Humpy’s turn now, and she’s got a decision to make.

Humpy responds to Ba3 by retreating her knight, a cautious move aimed at covering the dark-square diagonal and neutralising Divya’s bishop. But the engines are unimpressed.

The evaluation bar ticks upward in White’s favour, and Humpy’s accuracy takes a dip. It’s a small but significant shift, Divya now has the upper hand on both the board and the bar.

1. d4 (Divya Deshmukh) d5 (Koneru Humpy)

2. c4 dxc4

3. e4 e5

4. Nf3 Bb4+

5. Nc3 Nf6

6. Nxe5 b5

7. Be2 Bb7

8. O-O Bxc3

9. bxc3 Nxe4

10. Ba3 Nd6

No hesitation this time, Divya quickly finds the best move, sliding her bishop to f3 to tighten the grip on Humpy’s queenside. The pressure’s mounting, and Humpy responds by shifting her queen across to defend the bishop. Solid, but reactive, it’s Divya who’s steering the game right now.

1. d4 (Divya Deshmukh) d5 (Koneru Humpy)

2. c4 dxc4

3. e4 e5

4. Nf3 Bb4+

5. Nc3 Nf6

6. Nxe5 b5

7. Be2 Bb7

8. O-O Bxc3

9. bxc3 Nxe4

10. Ba3 Nd6

11. Bf3 Qc8

12. Nxc4 bxc4

That looked dicey, Divya goes for 12. Nxc4, but it might be a slip. Humpy wastes no time, snapping back with 12. bxc4 to immediately restore material balance. More than that, it shores up her control in the centre. Calm, clinical, and experienced, Humpy’s response puts the pressure right back on Divya.

1. d4 (Divya Deshmukh) d5 (Koneru Humpy)

2. c4 dxc4

3. e4 e5

4. Nf3 Bb4+

5. Nc3 Nf6

6. Nxe5 b5

7. Be2 Bb7

8. O-O Bxc3

9. bxc3 Nxe4

10. Ba3 Nd6

11. Bf3 Qc8

12. Nxc4 bxc4

13. Re1+ Kf8

1. d4 (Divya Deshmukh) d5 (Koneru Humpy)

2. c4 dxc4

3. e4 e5

4. Nf3 Bb4+

5. Nc3 Nf6

6. Nxe5 b5

7. Be2 Bb7

8. O-O Bxc3

9. bxc3 Nxe4

10. Ba3 Nd6

11. Bf3 Qc8

12. Nxc4 bxc4

13. Re1+ Kf8

14. Bxb7 Qxb7

15. Qe2 Nc6

16. d5 h5

Divya pushes 16. d5, a sharp and aggressive thrust aimed at cracking open the centre while Humpy’s king remains uncastled. It’s a bold attempt to seize the initiative in a tense, dynamic position.

But Humpy keeps her cool and answers with a classy, h5, holding her ground and hinting at counterplay of her own. This one’s heating up fast.

Divya’s down to 19 minutes, and we all know the clock hasn’t always been her friend in tense endgames. With 24 moves still to make before the time control kicks in, she’s got to juggle speed and precision, not an easy balance in such a sharp position.

Humpy, meanwhile, sits comfortably with 40 minutes and no urgency.

1. d4 (Divya Deshmukh) d5 (Koneru Humpy)

2. c4 dxc4

3. e4 e5

4. Nf3 Bb4+

5. Nc3 Nf6

6. Nxe5 b5

7. Be2 Bb7

8. O-O Bxc3

9. bxc3 Nxe4

10. Ba3 Nd6

11. Bf3 Qc8

12. Nxc4 bxc4

13. Re1+ Kf8

14. Bxb7 Qxb7

15. Qe2 Nc6

16. d5 h5

17. Rab1 Qa6

18. Bxd6+ cxd6

19. dxc6 Qxc6

20. Rb4

Divya challenges the rook on b4 with her own rook, prompting a long think from Humpy. With her time advantage, Humpy can afford a few minutes here.

In case you’re wondering, the time control for classical games at the World Cup gives each player 90 minutes for the first 40 moves. Once they hit move 40, they get an additional 30 minutes for the rest of the game.

On top of that, there’s a 30-second increment added after every move right from the beginning. So while it’s a long format, managing time remains crucial, especially in sharp, tactical battles like this one.

1. d4 (Divya Deshmukh) d5 (Koneru Humpy)

2. c4 dxc4

3. e4 e5

4. Nf3 Bb4+

5. Nc3 Nf6

6. Nxe5 b5

7. Be2 Bb7

8. O-O Bxc3

9. bxc3 Nxe4

10. Ba3 Nd6

11. Bf3 Qc8

12. Nxc4 bxc4

13. Re1+ Kf8

14. Bxb7 Qxb7

15. Qe2 Nc6

16. d5 h5

17. Rab1 Qa6

18. Bxd6+ cxd6

19. dxc6 Qxc6

20. Rb4 Rc8

21. Qe7+ Kg8

22. Qxa7 Rh6

23. h4

The third-place clash between Lei Tingjie and Tan Zhongyi wraps up quietly, as the players agree to a draw after just 34 moves. A short, peaceful end to their campaign.

1. d4 (Divya Deshmukh) d5 (Koneru Humpy)

2. c4 dxc4

3. e4 e5

4. Nf3 Bb4+

5. Nc3 Nf6

6. Nxe5 b5

7. Be2 Bb7

8. O-O Bxc3

9. bxc3 Nxe4

10. Ba3 Nd6

11. Bf3 Qc8

12. Nxc4 bxc4

13. Re1+ Kf8

14. Bxb7 Qxb7

15. Qe2 Nc6

16. d5 h5

17. Rab1 Qa6

18. Bxd6+ cxd6

19. dxc6 Qxc6

20. Rb4 Rc8

21. Qe7+ Kg8

22. Qxa7 Rh6

23. h4 Rg6

24. g3 Qf3

25. Re3 Qd1+

26. Kg2 Qd5+

27. Kg1 Qd1+

28. Kg2 Qd5+

29. Kg1 Qd1+

Big moment, Divya turns down the chance to repeat moves and claim a draw by threefold repetition. Instead, she sidesteps the sequence and calmly plays Kh2. It’s a quiet-looking move, but a bold message: she’s not done fighting yet. Divya wants more than half a point.

1. d4 (Divya Deshmukh) d5 (Koneru Humpy)

2. c4 dxc4

3. e4 e5

4. Nf3 Bb4+

5. Nc3 Nf6

6. Nxe5 b5

7. Be2 Bb7

8. O-O Bxc3

9. bxc3 Nxe4

10. Ba3 Nd6

11. Bf3 Qc8

12. Nxc4 bxc4

13. Re1+ Kf8

14. Bxb7 Qxb7

15. Qe2 Nc6

16. d5 h5

17. Rab1 Qa6

18. Bxd6+ cxd6

19. dxc6 Qxc6

20. Rb4 Rc8

21. Qe7+ Kg8

22. Qxa7 Rh6

23. h4 Rg6

24. g3 Qf3

25. Re3 Qd1+

26. Kg2 Qd5+

27. Kg1 Qd1+

28. Kg2 Qd5+

29. Kg1 Qd1+

30. Kh2 Rf6

31. Rb2 Qf1

32. Ree2 Rc5

33. Qa8+ Kh7

34. f4 d5

35. Re8 Rb5

36. Rxb5 Qf2+

Humpy’s starting to feel the time pressure too, and it shows, she pushes her d-pawn from the seventh rank to the fifth, a slight inaccuracy that hands Divya a small edge, according to the engine.

But just as things start to tilt in her favour, Divya plays Re8, a move that lets the advantage slip. The engine flattens the evaluation back to equality, momentum briefly shifted, but we’re back to level terms.

Divya accepts Humpy’s bold rook sacrifice, cracking open the position and giving Humpy a fresh chance to force a draw. It’s a high-stakes moment, one that could shift the momentum yet again.

This time, Divya chooses the safer path, accepting a draw by threefold repetition. After a tense, topsy-turvy battle full of sharp lines, narrow escapes, and missed chances on both sides, the first game of the FIDE Women’s World Cup final ends with honours even.

It’s all square between India’s Divya Deshmukh and Koneru Humpy, the final is still wide open.

1. d4 (Divya Deshmukh) d5 (Koneru Humpy)

2. c4 dxc4

3. e4 e5

4. Nf3 Bb4+

5. Nc3 Nf6

6. Nxe5 b5

7. Be2 Bb7

8. O-O Bxc3

9. bxc3 Nxe4

10. Ba3 Nd6

11. Bf3 Qc8

12. Nxc4 bxc4

13. Re1+ Kf8

14. Bxb7 Qxb7

15. Qe2 Nc6

16. d5 h5

17. Rab1 Qa6

18. Bxd6+ cxd6

19. dxc6 Qxc6

20. Rb4 Rc8

21. Qe7+ Kg8

22. Qxa7 Rh6

23. h4 Rg6

24. g3 Qf3

25. Re3 Qd1+

26. Kg2 Qd5+

27. Kg1 Qd1+

28. Kg2 Qd5+

29. Kg1 Qd1+

30. Kh2 Rf6

31. Rb2 Qf1

32. Ree2 Rc5

33. Qa8+ Kh7

34. f4 d5

35. Re8 Rb5

36. Rxb5 Qf2+

37. Kh3 Qf1+

38. Kh2 Qf2+

39. Kh3 Qf1+

40. Kh3 Qf1+

41. Kh2 Qf2+

That’s a wrap from Game 1. We’ll be back with another live blog for Game 2, until then, goodbye and take care.