Grandmaster Koneru Humpy on Thursday produced a comeback for the ages, defeating China’s Lei Tingjie in a tense tiebreaker to secure her place in the final of the ongoing FIDE Women’s World Cup. With this win, Humpy sets up an all-Indian summit clash against rising star Divya Deshmukh, ensuring a historic moment for Indian chess.

The final, scheduled to begin Saturday after a day’s rest, also marks a major milestone as both Humpy and Divya have now officially qualified for the 2025 Women’s Candidates Tournament, which is also a gateway to the world championship crown.

Humpy’s semifinal clash with Lei Tingjie was not an usual game of chess. After the classical games ended in a pair of draws, the match moved to rapid tiebreakers with 15-minute games. There too, neither player managed to break the deadlock, resulting in another 1–1 split.