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Updated : Jul 28, 2025 09:37 IST , CHENNAI - 5 MINS READ
Speaking on Sunday, after the second game too ended in a draw, Divya said the opening match draw ‘felt like a loss.’ | Photo Credit: Photo by Anna Shtourman\r
India’s Divya Deshmukh expressed disappointment at the chances she missed in the first classical game of the FIDE Women’s World Cup final against compatriot Koneru Humpy.
Speaking on Sunday, after the second game also ended in a draw, Divya said the opening match draw “felt like a loss”.
On Saturday, Divya had the upper hand on multiple occasions but failed to capitalise on her opponent’s mistakes.
AS IT HAPPENED - Humpy vs Divya GAME 2
“I was quite disappointed with the first game obviously, because I saw everything, and I just always ended up making the wrong choice. It was quite a pity. So yeah, the first game did not go my way and even though it was a draw, it kind of felt like a loss,” said Divya.
The second game was a far more straightforward affair, with both players making fewer errors than in Saturday’s encounter. Divya, however, felt she had unnecessarily complicated her position, resulting in a few nervy moments.
“I was just trying to recover, and today was considerably easier. I think I got myself into a mess for no reason. I was trying to see if there was a win, but I just missed the Queen to b8 [move]. And I was confused whether I should go g6 or g5. And I think G5 was better because Queen B8 doesn’t work against it. But I had some other problems. It was just should have been an easy draw. I got into trouble for no reason,” added Divya.
The 19-year-old also reflected on the importance of mid-round recovery during long tournaments such as the World Cup.
“I mean, I think it’s absolutely necessary to do that, otherwise you’re not going to perform well in the next game. I just tell myself that I have the rest of my life to be sad about it. So just don’t be sad today, and then we can be sad about it afterwards,” added Divya.
Going into Game 2, the Indian chess star had gone viral on social media after FIDE shared a video of her smiling mid-move during Saturday’s opener.
A post shared by FIDE (@fide_chess)
When asked about the viral moment on Sunday, Divya offered a clarification.
“Yeah, I was getting spammed on my phone after the game because everybody was like, ‘Why is she smiling?’ I got so annoyed — I deleted all the apps. I didn’t even realise, first of all, that I was smiling. I think it must have been some inner joke I thought of, or… yeah, I think I was just so deep into calculations. Honestly, at that point, I was a bit frustrated because I had mis-evaluated [a position],” said Divya.
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