Koneru Humpy, Divya Deshmukh hold firm with draws in semifinal first games

The two Indians have had a great beginning drawing with black and in the return game both will play as white in the FIDE Women’s World Cup

Batumi (Georgia): Grandmaster Koneru Humpy held China’s Tingjie Lei to a comfortable draw with black pieces, while Divya Deshmukh’s solid defence frustrated former women’s world champion Zhongyi Tan in the first game of the FIDE Women’s World Cup semifinals on Tuesday,

With two Indians and two Chinese making up the final four, the Asian dominance in women’s chess remains undisputed. But it’s now a battle of nerves for the final two spots.

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From the look of it, the two Indians have had a great beginning drawing with black and in the return game both will play as white.

If the results remain tied in this USD 691,250 event, then the games of shorter duration will be played to determine the winner. Also, three spots are up for grabs for the next Women’s Candidates Tournament — ensuring at least one Indian will qualify.