Kiran, Priyanka K, Vantika, Padmini and Nandhidhaa set to play their first game at Women's World Cup 2025

Kiran and Priyanka making their Women's World Cup debut

A total of 86 women will play the first round of FIDE Women's World Cup 2025, starting today in Batumi, Georgia. The top 21 seeded players will have a Bye in Round 1. They will play from Round 2 against the winners of Round 1 players. Check the pairing tree and we break down the brackets below to find out the potential and probable opponents.

Photo Gallery

FIDE Vice President Mahir Mammedov joined Chief Arbiter Mahdi Abdulrahim on the stage for the drawing of lots, to decide which colour would lead on board one. Two bottles of Georgian wine, red and white, defined that the players with the odd number will have Black in the first game of round one.

Round 1 pairings of Indian players

Details

Probable path for Indian players

The top left bracket has no Indian players whereas the top right bracket has four. Only two of them from top right brackets, can mathematically advance to the Quarterfinals.

GM Koneru Humpy (Bottom left bracket) - Humpy's first opponent in Round 2 is highly likely to be the in-form WIM Afruza Khamdamova (UZB). If things go as expected, Humpy can face the winner of the inaugural edition, GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (SUI) in Round 4 which will have 32 players. Winning that match would potentially have GM Anna Muzychuk (UKR), last year's Bronze medalist as Humpy's opponent in Round of 16 or Pre-Quarterfinals.

IM Divya Deshmukh (Top right bracket) - Divya is quite possibly going to face IM Pham Le Thao Nguyen (VIE) in Round 2. Winning that match means she will face either the reigning European Individual Women's champion, IM Teodora Injac (SRB) or IM Oliwia Kiolbasa (POL), who made her maiden GM-norm at the recently concluded, 11th Cesme Open in Turkiye. Divya vs Teodora/Oliwia would be a fantastic battle as all three women have already made history in their own way.

GM Harika Dronavalli (Top right bracket) - Harika's first opponent in the second round could very well be the former Asian Continental and National Women's Champion - WGM Nandhidhaa P V. Then her next round opponent could be any one of the three between - GM Kateryna Lagno, GM Anna Ushenina (UKR) or event Vantika. If Harika or Vantika win their match against each other then the winner can possibly face, Divya in the Quarterfinals.

GM Vaishali R (Bottom right bracket): Vaishali is likely to face WGM Maili-Jade Ouellet (CAN) in Round 2 as she is the rating favorite. Winning that match would make her face either IM Carissa Yip (USA) or GM Irina Krush (USA) in Round 3. If she overcomes the American challenge, in Round 4, Vaishali likely to face the defending champion, GM Aleksandra Goryachkina or IM Alice Lee (USA)/WGM Anna Shukhman/WGM Alicja Sliwicka (POL)/IM Meruert Kamalidenova (KAZ). Vaishali beating Goryachkina could potentially make her face, former Women's World Champion, GM Zhongyi Tan (CHN). Winning that could mean, we can get an All-Indian Semifinals between Vaishali and Divya/Nandhidhaa/Harika. It goes without saying that Vaishali has quite possibly has the most difficult path among all Indian women to the Finals.

Watch Round 1 live stream

Prizes

The total prize fund is US$ 691250 which will be distributed among 107 players. The top three prizes are $50000, 35000 and 25000.

Links

Source

Official site

Tournament Regulations

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Nine Indians will feature at FIDE Women's World Cup 2025 @ 01/07/2025 by ChessBase India (en)