Credit: Google
In the FIDE Women’s World Cup tiebreak match between Koneru Humpy and Lei Tingjei held in Georgia on July 24, the former player held her nerves and emerged victorious. With her success, she has now set up an all-India final as Divya Deshmukh reached the top two of the tournament earlier after getting the better of China’s Tan Zhongyi. With their semi-final triumphs, both Humpy and Deshmukh have reserved their spots for the Women’s Candidates Tournament scheduled to be played in 2026. The game between Humpy and Lei witnessed a tough fight between both Asian players.
After their couple of classical games ended in a stalemate earlier this week, the match went into rapid tiebreaks. The first set of rapid matches, which was played with 15-minute time control accompanied by a 10-second increment, also concluded in a draw with 1-1 figures. This drawn contest led to the second set of matches, with 10 minutes per player and the same increment. In the first of those games, Humpy saw herself under pressure as Lei took advantage of her error in the middlegame and also earned a pawn and converted her advantage into a win in the endgame.
However, the 38-year-old Indian held her nerves and made a sensational comeback in the third set. She won the opening game comfortably with white pieces. After winning the first game, she needed a draw to reach the final. She won the game and broke into the final to join her compatriot. This will be her first Women’s World Cup final.
Viswanathan Anand commends Koneru Humpy’s achievement
Following Koneru Humpy’s emphatic win, former World Champion Viswanathan Anand hailed the veteran’s notable consistency in major competitions. Taking to X, he said, “The tiebreak between Humpy Koneru and Lei Tingjie ended in a duel of nerves given the huge stakes involved. Humpy managed to compose herself and come back into the match after the first setback and then won the last two games to go through. Incredible resilience and, after her World Rapid win as well as her shared first place in the Pune Grand Prix, a remarkable World Cup to get another Candidates spot,” wrote Anand.
Anand also emphasised on the fact that two Indians will be playing in the final of the Women's World Cup, and mentioned that the Indian fans can rejoice in the moment.
