Why in the News?

Divya Deshmukh became the first Indian woman to win the FIDE Women's World Cup title after defeating fellow Indian Koneru Humpy in the final, in Batumi, Georgia. 

More on the News

• With this achievement, Divya joins Koneru Humpy, Dronavalli Harika, and R Vaishali as the fourth Indian woman to become a Grandmaster. 
• Divya automatically qualifies for the 2026 Candidates Tournament.

Other recent achievements in Chess by Indian players

• In 2024, GM Gukesh Dommaraju became the youngest (at the age of 18) undisputed World Chess Champion, defeating Ding Liren.
• In 2024, Indian Men's and Women's Chess Teams made history by both winning gold medals at the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary.
• In 2023, GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu became the world's youngest (at the age of 18) chess player to reach the World Cup final, and only the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to achieve the feat.

About FIDE World Championship Cycle

• FIDE World Cup is one of FIDE's most important events and determines three players who make it to FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament.
• Candidates Tournament is the final event in the World Championship cycle before the World Championship match.
  • Winner of the Candidates Tournament plays the reigning world champion in the championship match.
  • Candidates tournament is an eight-player, double round-robin event. 
  • Methods for Qualification in Candidates tournament include:
    • The runner-up in the previous World Championship match;
    • the top three finishers of the FIDE World Cup,
    • the top two finishers of the FIDE Grand Swiss tournament,
    • the winner of the FIDE Circuit, which tracks tournament results from January to December of the year before the Candidates Tournament,
    • and the player with the highest FIDE rating on January of the year of the Candidates Tournament.
• World Chess Championship match is played between the reigning World Champion and winner of the Candidates tournament.

About International Chess Federation (FIDE)

• It is the governing body of the sport of chess, and it regulates all international chess competitions. 
• Genesis: Constituted as a non-governmental institution in Paris in 1924, it was recognized by the International Olympic Committee as a Global Sporting Organization in 1999.
• Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland. 
• Members: Encompasses 201 countries as affiliate members, in the form of National Chess Federations.