FIDE Women's World Cup Final kicks off with draw between Humpy and Divya

Batumi [Georgia], July 26 (ANI): The opening game of the FIDE Women's World Cup final saw two of India's finest talents, Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh, settle for a hard-fought draw. The scoreboard read 1/2 - 1/2 .

On one side sat Humpy, a seasoned campaigner and one of India's greatest ever chess players. At 38, she remains calm and patient, possessing an incredible ability to endure long, pressure-filled games without breaking down.

Across the board, 18-year-old Divya Deshmukh, full of fire and fearless intent, brought her trademark attacking flair. A product of the new generation, Divya has risen rapidly in the chess world and is seen as one of the brightest young minds in the sport.

Regardless of who becomes the champion, history will be made for Indian chess in Batumi.

This will be India's first world title in women's chess.

India's Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh entered the final, defeating their Chinese opponents to set up the title clash.

Divya Deshmukh defeated her Chinese opponent Tan Zhongyi 1.5-0.5 in the semis, whereas Koneru Humpy won against Lei Tingjie by 5-3 margin.

Humpy's first game with Lei Tingjie ended in a draw at 0.5-0.5 each, and so did the other semifinal first game between Tan Zhongyi and Divya.

Earlier, Humpy created history by becoming the first Indian woman to reach the semifinals of the tournament. A solid draw in the second game of her quarterfinal clash against China's IM Song Yuxin was enough to seal the deal, according to ESPN.

There were a couple of minor inaccuracies along the way, but Humpy kept things under control, playing safe and smart. Eventually, her opponent settled for a draw, which confirmed Humpy's passage into the final four.

Deshmukh produced a remarkable performance to defeat compatriot GM Harika Dronavalli in the quarterfinals, winning both the tie-break games to advance to the semifinals.

The match was tightly contested in the classical segment, but Divya grabbed her opportunity in the first tie-break, when Harika made a crucial error in the endgame. In the second tie-break game, Harika had chances to bounce back, but she missed a couple of winning opportunities, and Divya made her pay for it. As a result, Harika's campaign came to an end, while Divya marched on with great composure and maturity.

Four Indian women had entered the quarterfinals of the FIDE Women's World Cup for the very first time, creating a unique achievement for India. (ANI)

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