Slowly but surely emerging as one of India’s key players, International Master Divya Deshmukh stunned higher-ranked compatriot Harika Dronavalli 2-0 in the tiebreaks to enter the semifinals of the FIDE World Women’s Chess Cup.
After two uneventful draws in the classical games, the pressure was on Harika in the rapid tiebreaks. Divya capitalised with a determined performance to win the first game, before sealing the match in the second as Harika, in a must-win situation, overpressed in search of a miracle that never came.
While Harika has been a semifinalist on three different occasions in a similar format which was then called the world women’s championship, Humpy and now Divya have become the two Indians who made it to the semis of the women’s world cup as this is a part of the new world championship cycle.
This also means that one Indian entry is assured in the Women’s Candidates Tournament slated sometime next year, which will decide who will contest the world championship match against incumbent Ju Wenjun of China.
Highest-ranked Indian for over a decade, Koneru Humpy is already in the last four for the first time in her career, and this is one title that has eluded her all these years. With Divya Deshmukh joining her as the other semi-finalist, it shows a paradigm shift in Indian women’s chess too, where the boys have largely been making hay.
Divya employed the Italian Opening in the first game and gave nothing away. Harika was outdone in the middlegame while trying to find some serious counterplay but ended up miscalculating, which cost her the queen for two white pieces. The rest was easy for Divya, who has now established herself as a force to reckon with in women’s chess.
In the return game, Harika had to win, but again Divya was up to the task in defence. It is well known that Harika adores her chances in faster versions, but against Divya she did not get many. It was a picturesque finish in the end that closed the doors for Harika.
In the semifinals, Humpy will meet top seed Lei Tingjie of China, while Divya will face former women’s world champion Tan Zhongyi, also of China.
