Humpy blitzes Lei to set up all-Indian final versus Divya

After losing a Rapid game, the 38-year-old won three on the trot to seal her place in the summit clash

- Ashish Magotra

The final of the 2025 FIDE Women's World Cup is going to be an all-India affair after Koneru Humpy beat China’s Lei Tingjie 5-3 in a tiebreaker that left all those watching breathless. She has set up a battle against 19-year-old compatriot Divya Deshmukh, who beat Tan Zhongyi in the classical format on Wednesday.

After scrambling and surviving the first two Rapid games, Humpy, playing black, lost the third Rapid game of the day as Lei took early charge and didn’t let go. With her tournament on the line, Humpy needed a win and she did just that.

Humpy, playing with white, won the next Rapid game at a canter demolishing Lei in just 39 moves. Lifted by that performance, she won the next two Blitz games to seal her place in the final. As a result, Humpy has also earned her spot in the FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament which will be held in the first half of 2026.