Divya Deshmukh Becomes 88th Grand Master and World Cup Winner at 19

July 28, 2025

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Divya Deshmukh Becomes 88th Grand Master and World Cup Winner at 19

Divya Deshmukh, a 19-year-old chess player from India, has made history by winning the FIDE Women’s World Cup in Georgia. She beat another Indian player, Koneru Humpy, in an exciting final match. This victory is a huge moment for Divya and Indian chess. With this win, she became India’s 88th Grandmaster and the fourth Indian woman to earn this title. She joins other great players like Humpy, R. Vaishali, and Harika Dronavalli.

In the final, Divya and Humpy played two rapid tiebreak games. During the second game, Humpy ran out of time and made some mistakes. Meanwhile, Divya stayed calm, played smart, and used those mistakes to win the game and the FIDE Women’s World Cup title. Her calm and careful moves helped her become the champion.

Normally, to become a Grandmaster, a player needs three GM norms and a FIDE rating of 2500 or more. However, Divya earned the title in a different way. By winning the FIDE Women’s World Cup, she got the Grandmaster title automatically. This special rule made her journey to the title unique and fast.

🇮🇳 Divya Deshmukh defeats Humpy Koneru 🇮🇳 to win the 2025 FIDE Women's World Cup 🏆#FIDEWorldCup @DivyaDeshmukh05 pic.twitter.com/KzO2MlC0FC

— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) July 28, 2025

Now, let’s talk about the prize money. Divya Deshmukh won $50,000 for becoming the FIDE Women’s World Cup champion. But there’s a big gap when you compare it to the Open World Cup. In the Open World Cup, which includes both men and women, the winner gets $110,000. This means the prize money for the Women’s World Cup is less than half of the Open section, even though both events are run by FIDE, the chess organization. For example, in the 2023 World Cup, Magnus Carlsen won $110,000 after beating R Praggnanandhaa from India.

In addition, the time control for the FIDE Women’s World Cup games is simple to understand. Each player gets 90 minutes for the first 40 moves. After that, they get 30 minutes for the rest of the game. Plus, they get an extra 30 seconds for every move they make, starting from the first move. This rule helps keep the games fair and exciting.

Interestingly, women can play in the Open World Cup if they qualify. But many choose not to. For instance, Ju Wenjun, the current Women’s World Champion, has a spot in the upcoming Open World Cup in Goa because of her title. However, no one knows yet if she will join the event.

Divya Deshmukh’s win in the FIDE Women’s World Cup shows how talented she is. At just 19, she has already made a big name in chess. Her success is a proud moment for India and proves that young players can do amazing things in the game.