Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy scripted history on Sunday, becoming the first Indian woman ever to reach the semifinals of the FIDE Women’s Chess World Cup. She achieved this milestone with a composed draw against China’s Yuxin Song in the second classical game of their quarterfinal match in Baku.
Having already won the first encounter with the white pieces, Humpy only needed a draw to progress, and she delivered under high stakes. Her sharp counterattacking play neutralised Song’s Jobava London System, as she willingly sacrificed material to seize control of the centre. After a tense battle lasting 53 moves, the game culminated in a balanced rook-and-pawn endgame, and the draw sealed Humpy’s 1.5–0.5 match victory.
This result not only ensures a top-four finish for the 37-year-old but also puts her within striking distance of qualifying for the Women’s Candidates Tournament—an essential step toward challenging for the World Championship title.
The other Indian quarterfinal between Grandmaster D Harika and International Master Divya Deshmukh remains unresolved, with both classical games ending in draws. The all-Indian clash will now be decided via rapid and blitz tie-breaks on Monday. On Sunday, Harika adopted a conservative setup with the white pieces, and both players maintained balance through to a drawn rook endgame.
Meanwhile, R Vaishali’s campaign came to a close after she fell to China’s Tan Zhongyi. Following a hard-fought draw in their first game, Vaishali faltered in the second, losing 0.5–1.5 despite entering a promising middlegame position. Tan capitalised on a tactical slip to seize the initiative and never relinquished her edge.
China’s dominance continued as top seed Lei Tingjie secured a clean 2–0 win over Nana Dzagnidze of Georgia, joining Tan and Humpy in the final four.
With three Chinese players and one Indian in the semifinals, the tournament is poised for high-voltage encounters as the path to the Candidates spot narrows.
Quarterfinal Results:
Koneru Humpy (IND) drew with Yuxin Song (CHN) — 1.5–0.5
Tan Zhongyi (CHN) Beat R Vaishali (IND) – 1.5–0.5
Le, Bless Naren Devada (NEa) — 20
D Harika (IND) vs Divya Deshmukh (IND) — 1–1 (tie-breaks to decide)
-
‘Hat Giong’ concert helps redefine autism awareness
-
Qaiser Nizamani shares frightening flight experience
-
Elderly patients can now safely undergo breast implant explantation
-
Marina Khan speaks on drama criticism and industry challenges
-
Gold filled with gold! If you come to your life, you will be in your life. If they are in your life, consider them.
