India’s 19-year-old chess prodigy Divya Deshmukh stunned the world by winning the FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025, becoming the first Indian woman to claim the prestigious title. In a thrilling all-Indian final held in Baku, Divya defeated veteran Grandmaster Koneru Humpy 1.5–0.5 in the rapid tie-breaks on Monday, after the classical games ended in draws.

Despite being the underdog, ranked 18th in classical and 22nd in rapid, Divya showcased nerves of steel. She capitalised on time pressure blunders by Humpy in the final rapid game to seal the victory. With this win, Divya also becomes India’s 88th Grandmaster and the fourth Indian woman to achieve the coveted GM title.

Divya’s rise has been meteoric—she was the World Junior Champion last year and a key player in India’s gold-winning team at the 2024 Chess Olympiad in Budapest. Speaking after her win, an emotional Divya said, “It was fate… I was only hoping for a GM norm, and I became a Grandmaster.”