Batumi [Georgia], July 20: Grandmaster Koneru Humpy etched her name into the history books by becoming the first Indian woman to reach the semifinals of the FIDE Women’s Chess World Cup, after a composed draw against China’s IM Song Yuxin in the second leg of their quarterfinal clash.
Humpy had already gained the upper hand with a win in the first game and only needed a draw to advance. Despite a few minor inaccuracies, she held firm, played a controlled game, and sealed the draw, ensuring her historic passage into the final four.
In the all-Indian quarterfinal between Harika Dronavalli and Divya Deshmukh, the battle remained intense and unresolved. Divya, using the Slav Defense: Modern Line, failed to break through Harika’s solid preparation. The game dragged on for 60 moves before both players agreed to a draw.
Elsewhere, Vaishali Rameshbabu’s strong campaign ended after a defeat to third seed Tan Zhongyi of China, while top seed Lei Tingjie continued her dominant form by defeating Georgia’s Nana Dzagnidze to also reach the semifinals.
The semifinals are now set with Humpy facing Lei Tingjie, and Tan awaiting the winner of Harika vs Divya. With this result, it is guaranteed that at least one Indian woman will compete in the Candidates Tournament later this year, as the top three from the World Cup qualify.