GM Koneru Humpy Marches into Semifinals; Divya–Harika Tie Heads to Playoffs

Grandmaster Koneru Humpy became the first player to secure a spot in the semifinals of the FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025, defeating China’s IM Song Yuxin with a score of 1.5–0.5. After a commanding win with the white pieces in Game 1, Humpy sealed the match with a solid draw in Game 2, playing black. She will now take on top-seeded Chinese GM Lei Tingjie in the semifinal clash.

Meanwhile, the all-Indian quarterfinal between IM Divya Deshmukh and GM Dronavalli Harika remains evenly poised after both classical games ended in well-contested draws. The duo will battle it out in the tiebreak playoffs tomorrow to determine who advances to face former world champion GM Tan Zhongyi of China.

In another quarterfinal, GM Vaishali Rameshbabu held GM Tan Zhongyi to a draw in the first game and put up a spirited fight in the second. However, Tan capitalized on her chances with the white pieces to score a decisive win and clinch the match, thus ending Vaishali’s remarkable campaign.