Chess
Divya Deshmukh stuns Harika Dronavalli to enter Women’s World Cup Semifinals
Divya will face former Women’s World Champion Tan Zhongyi, while Koneru takes on Lei in an all-India vs China final four.
Divya Deshmukh (Photo credit: Andrei Anosov/FIDE)
International Master (IM) Divya Deshmukh pulled off a stunning upset against Grandmaster (GM) Harika Dronavalli in the quarterfinals of the FIDE Women’s World Cup in Batumi. Divya won both games of the rapid tiebreak (15+10 format) to secure a 2-0 victory and book her place in the semi-finals.
This result marks a generational shift, as Divya took down one of India’s most seasoned players with a confident and tactical display. The win propels her into the last four of the prestigious event, joining GM Humpy Koneru and Chinese GMs Lei Tingjie and Tan Zhongyi in the semi-final lineup.
Divya will face former Women’s World Champion Tan Zhongyi, while Koneru takes on Lei in an all-India vs China final four—an indicator of the rising chess powerhouses in women’s international competition.
The first tiebreak game saw Divya employ the Classical Italian, Greco Gambit—targeting a line Harika was familiar with. Despite Harika’s preparation, she faltered with 22…Qc6?, allowing Divya to break through and gain a crucial pawn. A tactical flurry followed, culminating in a brilliant combination starting with 30.Bxg7!, ultimately leaving Harika’s king exposed and leading to resignation.
In the second game, Harika, needing a win, opted for a Queenless middlegame via the King’s Indian Attack. She achieved a promising position but missed a critical opportunity on move 22 to press for an advantage. As the game wore on and both players entered time trouble, Divya’s resilience held. Harika failed to convert a subtle endgame opportunity, and a final blunder sealed her fate.
Speaking after the match, Divya said, “I think I’m happy with the way I played, but I don’t think the second game went very well.” Reflecting on her campaign so far, she added, “I didn’t want to play tiebreaks, but this is my fate, and for the moment it’s going well.”
Divya’s triumph also moves her one step closer to qualifying for the Women’s Candidates Tournament—only the top three finishers from this World Cup will advance, joining already-qualified GMs Alexandra Goryachkina and Zhu Jiner.
