Chess: Divya Deshmukh stuns World No 2 Zhu Jiner, other Indians settle for draw at FIDE Women’s World Cup

India’s Divya Deshmukh pulled off a big surprise at the FIDE Women’s World Cup in Batumi, Georgia, by defeating world No. 2 Zhu Jiner in the first game of their pre-quarterfinal match on Wednesday. The 18-year-old Indian, playing with the white pieces, showed great maturity and calmness against the Chinese star, who is the second seed and a strong title contender. Divya slowly built a strong position, stayed steady through the middlegame, and took advantage of Zhu’s mistakes to earn a memorable win. With a 1-0 lead in the two-game match, Divya now needs just a draw in the second game to reach the quarterfinals. If she does, she will become only the second Indian woman to make it this far in the Women’s World Cup, after Harika Dronavalli in 2023. Meanwhile, the other three Indian players in the pre-quarterfinals—R. Vaishali, Koneru Humpy, and Harika—played out draws in their first games. Vaishali, playing white, had a tight game against Kazakhstan’s Meruert Kamalidenova, with both players cancelling each other out. Humpy and Harika, who are both former World Championship semifinalists, played safe and held their games with the black pieces. Humpy faced Switzerland’s Alexandra Kosteniuk, while Harika played against Russia’s Kateryna Lagno.

The FIDE Women’s World Cup is one of the top events in women’s chess. The top three players from the tournament will qualify for the 2026 FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament, which is a key step toward the Women’s World Championship. All four Indian players will return for Game 2 of their matches on Thursday.