Woman International Master (WIM) K Priyanka of India caused an upset at the FIDE World Women's Chess Cup 2025 in Batumi, Georgia, by defeating higher-ranked Hungarian WGM Zsoka Gaal. This victory propels Priyanka into the round of 64 in the prestigious knockout tournament.
Priyanka's path to victory was not straightforward. She initially lost the first game under classical time control. However, displaying resilience, she fought back to win the second game, forcing a tiebreaker. The tiebreaker rounds included rapid and blitz games. After losing one and winning one in the rapid tiebreaks, Priyanka demonstrated her strength in the blitz format, winning two consecutive games to secure her place in the next round. Her overall score in the tiebreaks was 5-3.
The match was particularly significant due to the considerable rating difference between the two players, with Gaal being rated over 300 ELO points higher than Priyanka. Despite this, Priyanka played fearlessly, showcasing her skills, particularly in the middle game, where a timely queen exchange led her to a favorable endgame.
Nine Indian women are participating in the FIDE World Women's Chess Cup. Four of them – Koneru Humpy, D Harika, R Vaishali, and Divya Deshmukh – received direct entry into the second round due to their higher rankings. Out of the remaining five, Kiran Manisha Mohanty was eliminated in the first round, while Vantika Agrawal, Padmini Rout, P V Nandhidhaa, and Priyanka progressed to the round of 64.
Other Indian players, including IM Padmini Rout and WGM Nandhidhaa P V, also secured their spots in the second round with convincing wins. Padmini Rout won both her games against Zhang Lanlin of China, while Nandhidhaa P V capitalized on a blunder by Anahi Ortiz Verdezoto of Ecuador to advance. Vantika Agrawal also advanced to the second round after defeating Lala Shohradova of Turkmenistan.
In the second round, Koneru Humpy will face Afruza Khamdamova of Uzbekistan. D Harika will play against Nandhidhaa P V, guaranteeing that one Indian player will be eliminated. Priyanka will face Klaudia Kulon of Poland, while Padmini Rout will have a challenging match against former women's world champion Aleksandra Kosteniuk, who now represents Switzerland.
Priyanka's victory, along with the success of other Indian women chess players, highlights the growing strength and influence of Indian women in the sport. The FIDE Women's World Cup 2025 has a total prize pool of USD 691,250, with the top three finishers qualifying for the Candidates Tournament.
