Divya Deshmukh fights back tears, shares emotional hug with mother after FIDE Women's World Cup win; watch video

Divya Deshmukh of India rose to prominence on Monday, making distinguished history by securing the FIDE Women's World Cup title. The 19-year-old defeated compatriot Koneru Humpy in the tie-breaker of the final, thereby becoming the first Indian to claim the title. She is also the youngest in the world to achieve this feat, and the day continued to get better for her as she also earned the coveted Grandmaster’s title. She will be the 88th Grandmaster of India and the country’s fourth woman Grandmaster.

After the classical games ended in a draw, the pressure was on Divya as Humpy, with all her experience, was the favourite to take the win. However, the teen sensation kept her nerves under control and did not give her opponent an ounce of advantage to capitalise on.

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She waited, and her persistence finally paid off when Humpy made the blunder in the second game of the tie-breaker. Subsequently, the veteran GM was left with no other option but to resign.

Divya fails to hold back tears while hugging mother

After attaining the milestone, Divya Deshmukh was overwhelmed with emotions and could not hold back tears. She rushed to meet her mother, and then a heartwarming moment ensued between the mother and daughter.

As she relived the magnitude of her achievement, Divya tightly hugged her mother, a moment that transcended words. No words can define the enormity of the moment. It is the relentless hard work that is now flowing in the form of emotions.

Divya’s hug to her mom says everything ❤️#FIDEWorldCup @DivyaDeshmukh05 pic.twitter.com/jeOa6CjNc1

— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) July 28, 2025

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Having bagged the gold in the FIDE Women’s World Cup is just the start of Divya Deshmukh’s journey to conquer the world. She has qualified for the Candidates tournament and will be eyeing the opportunity to become the next challenger to reigning five-time World Chess Champion Ju Wenjun of China.

Notably, Koneru Humpy has also qualified for the Candidates tournament, setting up another potential showdown between the two Indian Chess GMs as they vie for the top prize.