Indian chess prodigy Diya Deshmukh,19, defeated fellow countrywomen Koneru Humpy to win the FIDE World Cup for women in Georgia.In a dramatic finish to the second rapid tiebreak, Humpy faltered under intense time pressure, making several critical mistakes in the endgame.On the other hand, the teenager Divya Deshmukh stayed calm and precise, capitalised on every opportunity to convert her advantage and seal the victory. With this win, Divya is not only crowned the FIDE Women’s World Cup Champion but also became India’s 88th Grandmaster and only the fourth Indian woman to achieve the prestigious title.Divya joins the elite league of Indian players like Humpy, R. Vaishali, and Harika Dronavalli by earning the prestigious Grandmaster title.Unlike the traditional path, which involves securing three GM norms and reaching a Classical FIDE rating of 2500 or more, Divya achieved the title through a less conventional route. Her triumph in the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup final granted her the Grandmaster title automatically.However when it comes to prize money, Divya will get $50,000. There is stark pay gap. The winner of the FIDE World Cup (Open section, which includes both men and women) receives $110,000, while the champion of the Women’s World Cup earns just $50,000 — less than half — despite both tournaments being organised by FIDE.

The prize money at the 2023 World Cup, where R Praggnanandhaa lost to Magnus Carlsen in the final, saw the Norwegian pocket $1,10,000.According to FIDE rules, the time control for each game will be 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the remainder of the game, with a 30-second increment per move starting from move one.Although women are eligible to compete in the Open World Cup if they qualify, many choose not to participate. At the upcoming Open World Cup in Goa, reigning Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun has a guaranteed spot by virtue of her title, but it remains uncertain whether she will decide to travel and take part.