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India vs China clash in FIDE Women’s World Cup semifinals: Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh aim for a spot in the finals as they take on Lei Tingjie and Tan Zhongyi.
Divya Deshmukh and Koneru Humpy will be in action at the World Cup semifinal (Picture credit: X @FIDE_chess)
In what is going to be a classic India vs China clash in the semifinals of the FIDE Women’s World Cup at Batumi in Georgia, Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh will take on Lei Tingjie and Tan Zhongyi, respectively, in a battle to seal a spot in the finals of the prestigious event.
Humpy and Divya have become the two Indians who made it to the semifinals of the Women’s World Cup for the first time, as this is a part of the new World Championship cycle.
Highest-ranked Indian for more than 10 years, Humpy is already in the semifinals for the first time in her career, and this is one title that has eluded her all these years.
With Divya joining Humpy as the other semifinalist, it shows a paradigm shift in Indian women’s chess as well, where the boys have been making hay.
Divya employed the Italian Opening in the first match and gave nothing away. D 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.
Who are Humpy and Divya’s opponents in the semifinals?
Humpy will take on Tingjie, the 2022-23 Women’s Candidates winner. She comes into the semifinals after thrashing local talent Nana Dzagnidze 2-0 in the quarters.
Divya, on the other hand, will take on the 34-year-old Zhongyi, who is a former women’s world champion. The latter comes into the semis after a hard-fought battle with R Vaishali in the quarters.
What is the schedule for the semifinals of the FIDE Women’s World Cup?
Both matches will begin at 4:45 pm IST. The tiebreaks, if needed, will be played on July 24 at 4:35 pm IST.
Where to watch the semifinals of the FIDE Women’s World Cup?
The semifinals of the FIDE Women’s World Cup will be live-streamed on FIDE’s YouTube channel.
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