Divya Deshmukh Defeats Harika, Reaches FIDE Women’s World Cup Semifinals

Batumi, Georgia: India’s rising chess sensation and World Junior Champion Divya Deshmukh has stormed into the semifinals of the FIDE Women’s World Cup by defeating veteran Grandmaster D Harika in the rapid tiebreaks. With this impressive win, the 19-year-old from Nagpur is now just one step away from qualifying for the prestigious Women’s Candidates Tournament.The intense quarterfinal match saw both Indian players draw in their two classical games, pushing the tie into the rapid format a  time control that suits Divya well. She delivered a stunning performance, winning both rapid games  one with white and the other with black pieces to seal the tie 3-1.“I’m happy with the way I played today. My preparation helped a lot, especially in the first rapid game. The last game didn’t go as expected, but I’m just glad it’s over,” Divya said after her emotional victory.

In the first game, playing with white, Divya opted for the Giuoco Piano Game with Center Attack. After a couple of weak moves by Harika, Divya capitalized and executed a powerful exchange to snatch Harika’s queen, eventually converting the endgame in 57 moves.In the second rapid game, Divya played black and chose the Slav Defense. Although she made a few questionable moves early on, Harika faltered under pressure.

Despite being low on time, Divya pushed through, gained a crucial pawn, and forced resignation from Harika after 76 moves.The semifinal stage, starting Tuesday, will now be an India vs China affair. Divya will take on World No. 8 Tan Zhongyi, while fellow Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy faces top seed Lei Tingjie.

With the top three finishers qualifying for the Women’s Candidates Tournament, both Humpy and Divya still have a golden chance to move one step closer to becoming the challenger for the World Championship title.When asked about her next steps, Divya said,“I always wanted to avoid tiebreaks, but it’s not in my hands. For now, I just want to eat and then begin preparing again.”

She also noted that her toughest opponent so far was Zhu, and that win had boosted her confidence significantly.India now watches with hope as Divya continues her remarkable journey on the global stage.