Four talented Indian chess players have made it to the pre-quarterfinals of the FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025 in Batumi, Georgia.
Indians Dominate Early Rounds
The FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025 is proving to be a showcase for Indian chess talent. A remarkable four Indian participants have fought their way into Round 4, also known as the Pre-Quarterfinals, of this prestigious biennial event.
Divya Deshmukh was the first to secure her spot, overcoming Serbian IM Teodora Injac with a comfortable 1.5-0.5 score in their two-legged Classical match. Following her success, current World Rapid Champion Koneru Humpy also advanced, defeating Poland’s Klaudia Kulon by the identical 1.5-0.5 margin through Classical games.
Tie-Break Drama Unfolds
The path to the pre-quarters was more dramatic for the remaining three Indian players: Harika Dronavalli, R. Vaishali, and Vantika Agrawal. All three found their Classical matches drawn at 1.0-1.0, pushing their fate into tie-breaks.
Vantika faced a formidable opponent in GM Kateryna Lagno, a multiple-time Blitz and Rapid World Champion. Despite Vantika’s impressive start with a Classical win, the experienced Russian grandmaster forced tie-breaks after evening the score in the next leg. The tie-break was an intense affair, featuring three draws before Lagno ultimately triumphed over Vantika in a 10-minute Rapid game while playing with the white pieces.
Meanwhile, India’s No. 2, Harika Dronavalli, secured her spot by comfortably beating Stavroula Tsolakidou of Greece in the tie-breaks. R. Vaishali also demonstrated her prowess, defeating young American sensation IM Carissa Yip to join her compatriots in the pre-quarterfinals.
Exciting Pre-Quarterfinal Matchups Ahead
The road ahead for the Indian contingent is challenging but exciting. Divya Deshmukh faces a tough test against China’s Zhu Jiner, who is currently ranked World No. 4.
The match between Koneru Humpy and Alexandra Kosteniuk is expected to be a closely contested battle between two chess titans. R. Vaishali will lock horns with Kazakhstan’s Meruert Kamalidenova, while Harika Dronavalli will challenge the strong Kateryna Lagno.
For their first matches in Round 4, Vaishali and Divya will play with the white pieces, a potential advantage, while Humpy and Harika will start with the black pieces.
- Four Indian players reached the FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025 pre-quarterfinals.
- Divya Deshmukh and Koneru Humpy qualified directly from their Classical matches.
- Harika Dronavalli and R. Vaishali advanced after winning their tie-breaks.
- Vantika Agrawal fought hard but was eliminated by GM Kateryna Lagno in tie-breaks.
- Key matchups include Divya vs. Zhu Jiner, Humpy vs. Alexandra Kosteniuk, Harika vs. Kateryna Lagno, and Vaishali vs. Meruert Kamalidenova.
The coming matches promise intense competition as these top players vie for a spot in the next stage of the prestigious tournament.
