[Event "Women's World Cup 2025"] [Site "Batumi, Georgia"] [Date "2025.07.01"] [Round "43.1"] [White "Divya Deshmukh"] [Black "Koneru, Humpy"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2463"] [BlackElo "2536"] [Variant "Standard"] [Annotator "WGM Sabina Foisor"] [ECO "D20"] [Opening "Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, McDonnell Defense"] [StudyName "Women's World Cup"] [ChapterName "Divya Deshmukh - Koneru, Humpy"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/fB3lLxYD/1jdojpuy"] [Orientation "white"] { This was such a highly anticipated match for the Indian community, but the question is whom to root for? India's first woman to earn the GM title, or the 19-year old whose tremendous ascension to the top could be completed by earning a GM title with a win? In their first encounter, the players followed a topical line in the Queen's Gambit Accpted. } 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 e5 4. Nf3 Bb4+ 5. Nc3 Nf6 6. Nxe5 b5 7. Be2 Bb7?! { was tried some time ago by Ivanchuk, but these days the computer seems to dislike it due to } (7... Nxe4 { has been essayed by Dominguez a few years ago and seems to maintain a balanced position for Black. } 8. O-O Bxc3 9. bxc3 Nxc3 10. Qe1 Nxe2+ 11. Qxe2 O-O 12. Ba3 Nd7 13. Bxf8 Qxf8 14. a4 Nxe5 15. Qxe5 b4 16. d5 Bb7 17. a5 Qc5 18. Rfd1 Rd8 19. h4 c3 20. Rd3 Rxd5 21. Rxd5 Bxd5 22. Re1 h6 23. Qf5 Qc6 24. Qc8+ Kh7 25. Re8 c2 26. Rh8+ Kg6 27. Qg4+ Kf6 28. Qf4+ Ke6 29. Qg4+ Ke7 30. Qxb4+ Kd7 31. Qg4+ Be6 32. Qd4+ Bd5 33. Qg4+ Ke7 34. Qb4+ Ke6 35. Qg4+ Ke7 36. Qb4+ Qd6 37. Qe1+ Qe6 38. Qb4+ Qd6 39. Qe1+ Be6 40. Qe3 Qd1+ 41. Kh2 c1=Q 42. Qe5 Qd6 { 0-1 (42) Nepomniachtchi,I (2792)-Dominguez Perez,L (2754) Saint Louis 2022 }) 8. O-O Bxc3 { this made matters possibly even worse for Humpy, as White hasn't played a2-a3 , which means the a3-square is still an option for White's bishop, keeping Black's king in the center. } (8... c6 { was played by Ivanchuk, and even if he eventually drew that game, even he struggled to find balance. } 9. Bg5 h6 10. Bh4 O-O 11. Ng4 Be7 12. Bxf6 Bxf6 13. e5 Be7 14. Bf3 a6 15. a4 Nd7 16. axb5 axb5 17. Nxb5 Qb6 18. Nc3 Rad8 19. Na4 Qb4 20. Qe1 Nb8 21. Ne3 Qxe1 22. Rfxe1 Rxd4 23. Nf5 Rd7 24. Nb6 Rc7 25. Nxc4 Bb4 26. Re4 Bc8 27. Ncd6 Bxf5 28. Nxf5 Rb7 29. h4 h5 30. Rd1 g6 31. Nd6 Bxd6 32. Rxd6 Re8 33. b4 Rb5 34. Be2 Rd5 35. f3 Kf8 36. Kf2 Rexe5 37. Rxe5 Rxd6 38. Ra5 Nd7 39. Ra8+ Ke7 40. Ra7 Rd2 41. Ke3 { ½-½ (41) Bareev,E (2635)-Ivanchuk,V (2720) Linares 1992 CBM 028 [Dautov,Rustem] }) 9. bxc3 Nxe4 (9... O-O 10. f3 { and White's position is dominant and will focus on a likely lethal kingside attack. }) 10. Ba3 Nd6?! (10... Nd7 { is the engine's suggestion to try to trade the annoying e5-knight and keep the e-file closed until Black can find a way to bring the king to safety. } 11. Qe1 Nxe5 12. dxe5 Qg5 13. Bf3 Qg6 14. Rd1 c5 15. Qe3 O-O 16. Rd7 Bc6 17. Rc7 Bd5 $13) 11. Bf3 Qc8 12. Nxc4? { Divya lets go of some advantage. } (12. Rb1! { putting pressure on the b-file first would have given White the upper hand. } 12... O-O (12... a6? 13. Nxc4) 13. Bxd6 cxd6 14. Rxb5 Bxf3 15. Qxf3 Nd7 16. Nc6 $16) 12... bxc4 13. Re1+ Kf8?? (13... Kd8 { This is definitely not a human move, but I had to follow along the engine's suggestion and it led me to an interesting endgame should White have tried to check mate Black's king. } 14. Qe2 Re8 15. Qxe8+!? Nxe8 16. Be7+ Kd7 17. Bg4+ Kc6 18. d5+ Kb6 19. Rab1+ Ka6 { There is no mate, but we get to recapture the queen. } 20. Bxc8 Bxc8 21. Rb4 Bf5 22. Rxc4 Nd7) 14. Bxb7?? (14. Qe2! Bc6 (14... Nc6 15. d5 $18) (14... Nd7 15. Bxb7 Qxb7 16. Qe7+ Kg8 17. Qxd7 $18) 15. Qxc4 h5 { a typical way to try to activate the h8-rook. } (15... Bxf3?? 16. Bxd6+ Kg8 17. Re7 Bh5 18. Rxc7 $18) 16. Bxc6 Nxc6 17. Qxc6 Rh6 18. Re5 { and I like White's chances here as Black is still uncoordinated. }) 14... Qxb7 15. Qe2 { Now it is a little too late, as Black was able to complete her development, and, from here, she didn't really give up any more chances. } 15... Nc6 16. d5 h5 17. Rab1 Qa6 18. Bxd6+ cxd6 19. dxc6 Qxc6 20. Rb4 Rc8 21. Qe7+ Kg8 22. Qxa7 Rh6 23. h4 Rg6 24. g3 Qf3 25. Re3 Qd1+ 26. Kg2 Qd5+ 27. Kg1 Qd1+ 28. Kg2 Qd5+ 29. Kg1 Qd1+ 30. Kh2 Rf6 31. Rb2 Qf1 32. Ree2 Rc5 33. Qa8+ Kh7 34. f4 d5 35. Re8 Rb5 36. Rh8+ Kg6 37. Rxb5 Qf2+ 38. Kh3 Qf1+ 39. Kh2 Qf2+ 40. Kh3 Qf1+ 41. Kh2 Qf2+ { Draw. } 1/2-1/2