Koneru Humpy (L), Divya Deshmukh (R)
Credit: PTI photos
Veteran Indian grandmaster Koneru Humpy will face teenage prodigy Divya Deshmukh in a historic all-Indian final of the 2025 FIDE Women's World Cup, currently being held in Batumi, Georgia.
The final represents a landmark achievement for Indian chess. Before this tournament, no Indian woman had ever reached the semi-final stage. This year, two have made it to the final, with both players having also secured their qualification for the prestigious 2026 Candidates Tournament.
The showdown is a classic clash of generations. Humpy is India's top-ranked player and the world number five, while 19-year-old Deshmukh is ranked 19th and is the first teenager to reach the Candidates in 34 years.
Here is all you need to know about the final:
Schedule
Match 1: July 26 (Saturday)
Match 2: July 27 (Sunday)
Tie-Breaker (If Needed): July 28 (Monday)
Timings And Telecast
The matches will start at 4:30 PM IST. There will be no television broadcast, but the games will be livestreamed on the official FIDE YouTube Channel.
Format
The final begins with two classical matches, where each player gets 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by an additional 30 minutes to complete the game, with a 30-second increment per move.
If the score is tied after the classical portion, the match moves to a tie-break. This consists of:
Two 10-minute rapid games (plus a 10-second increment).
If still tied, two 5-minute blitz games (plus a 3-second increment).
If still tied, two 3-minute games (plus a 2-second increment).
If a winner is still not determined, 3+2 matches will continue until there is a decisive result.