Divya Deshmukh gets wild card after “last-minute cancellation of one of the participants"
19-year-old to join strong Indian contingent of 20 other players at FIDE World Cup 2025
Biennial championship features 206 of the world’s top chess players
Divya Deshmukh Earns FIDE World Cup 2025 Wild Card, To Compete Alongside D Gukesh Again
Divya Deshmukh had held world champion D Gukesh to a draw in a six-hour match at the FIDE Grand Swiss, and her impressive showing in the Open section there has been rewarded with a wild card for the FIDE World Cup 2025 in Goa
Summary
Grandmaster Divya Deshmukh has secured a wild card entry to the FIDE World Cup 2025 chess tournament. The event is set to be held in Goa from October 31 to November 27, 2025.
This opportunity arose following the last-minute withdrawal of an originally confirmed participant. FIDE, the International Chess Federation, explained that her entry followed a “last-minute cancellation of one of the participants, with Ju Wenjun and Hou Yifan having earlier declined the invitation.”
Deshmukh, who is just 19 years old and hails from Nagpur, Maharashtra, will join a strong Indian contingent of 20 other players in this single-elimination event, spearheaded by current world champion D Gukesh. The biennial championship features 206 of the world’s top chess players battling in a knockout format over three weeks, with the top three finishers securing a place in the 2026 Candidates Tournament.
Recent Achievements And Historic Title Triumph
Divya had earlier made headlines by clinching a historic title triumph at the FIDE Women’s World Cup. In a thrilling final clash, she defeated 38-year-old compatriot Koneru Humpy, a result that secured her a spot in the Women’s Candidates Tournament.
This victory also made Divya the 88th Grandmaster of India and only the fourth Indian female to earn the GM title, joining the ranks of Koneru Humpy, Harika Dronavalli and Vaishali Rameshbabu. Divya’s achievement at the Women’s World Cup underscores her exceptional talent and sets a new benchmark for Indian women in chess.
Impressive Performance At FIDE Grand Swiss
Beyond women’s events, Divya has demonstrated her prowess in Open competitions. At the FIDE Grand Swiss, she delivered an impressive performance by scoring 5.0 out of 11 rounds in a highly competitive field. Her results placed her ahead of seasoned players such as Karthikeyan Murali, Boris Gelfand, Levon Aronian and Alexander Grischuk.
Furthermore, she finished on par with Russia’s Aleksandra Goryachkina, the only other female awarded a wild card in the Open category. This performance highlighted the teeanger's ability to challenge established Grandmasters and bridge traditional gender divisions in chess.
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(With PTI inputs)
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