Chess: Divya Deshmukh stuns World No 2 Zhu Jiner at FIDE Women’s World Cup

India’s Divya Deshmukh pulled disconnected a large astonishment astatine the FIDE Women’s World Cup successful Batumi, Georgia, by defeating satellite No. 2 Zhu Jiner successful the archetypal crippled of their pre-quarterfinal lucifer connected Wednesday. The 18-year-old Indian, playing with the achromatic pieces, showed large maturity and calmness against the Chinese star, who is the 2nd effect and a beardown rubric contender. Divya dilatory built a beardown position, stayed dependable done the middlegame, and took vantage of Zhu’s mistakes to gain a memorable win. With a 1-0 pb successful the two-game match, Divya present needs conscionable a gully successful the 2nd crippled to scope the quarterfinals. If she does, she volition go lone the 2nd Indian pistillate to marque it this acold successful the Women’s World Cup, aft Harika Dronavalli successful 2023. Meanwhile, the different 3 Indian players successful the pre-quarterfinals—R. Vaishali, Koneru Humpy, and Harika—played retired draws successful their archetypal games. Vaishali, playing white, had a choky crippled against Kazakhstan’s Meruert Kamalidenova, with some players cancelling each different out. Humpy and Harika, who are some erstwhile World Championship semifinalists, played harmless and held their games with the achromatic pieces. Humpy faced Switzerland’s Alexandra Kosteniuk, portion Harika played against Russia’s Kateryna Lagno.

The FIDE Women’s World Cup is 1 of the apical events successful women’s chess. The apical 3 players from the tourney volition suffice for the 2026 FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament, which is simply a cardinal measurement toward the Women’s World Championship. All 4 Indian players volition instrumentality for Game 2 of their matches connected Thursday.