Lei vs. Koneru, Tan vs. Deshmukh: Semifinals set @ Women’s Chess World Cup
The quarterfinals are complete at the 2025 Women’s Chess World Cup, and four players remain. Lei Tingjie, Tan Zhongyi, Humpy Koneru, and IM Divya Deshmukh have made it through four matches each, and will give their best effort in the remaining two rounds.
Lei won 2-0 against Nana Dzagnidze, bringing her total tournament score to a stellar 7.5/8. Those results have earned enough of a boost to pass World Champion Ju Wenjun on the live ratings, per 2700chess, at 2572. Tan knocked off Vaishali Rameshbabu 1.5-0.5, and Koneru eliminated IM Song Yuxin 1.5-0.5.
The sole tiebreak was between Deshmukh and Harika Dronavalli. Both classical games were high accuracy draws, and the first 15-minute game was following suit, until Dronvalli’s inaccuracies began to snowball and gave Deshmukh the first win of the match.
24. …Rxe5? began the cascade, because it means 25. Bd4! gains a tempo on the rook and produces giant kingside pressure for White. A move like 24. …Qe6! would have made it hard for White’s bishop to contribute.
The second game was promising for Dronavalli, who had some advantages throughout the first two-thirds of the game. She even had two identical moments at a chance to win.
62. …Ke7?? allows 63. Bf4!, forcing a trade of dark square bishops. To grossly oversimplify the endgame, White would be winning because Black’s pawns are very attackable by White’s second bishop, fixed on light squares as they are. Dronavalli did not jump on either opportunity, and ultimately lost the endgame to put an end to her tournament.
The semifinals start Tuesday at 11:15 a.m. UTC. Follow along on Lichess.
Photo by Anna Shtourman / FIDE
