Teenaged Grandmaster Divya Deshmukh has been awarded a wild card for the FIDE World Cup 2025, to be held in Goa from October 31 to November 27, following a last-minute withdrawal of one of many members.The 19-year-old from Nagpur, who just lately competed on the FIDE Grand Swiss, will now be a part of 20 different Indians within the single-elimination occasion which shall be spearheaded by reigning world champion D Gukesh.FIDE stated Deshmukh’s entry got here after a “last-minute cancellation of one of the participants, with Ju Wenjun and Hou Yifan having earlier declined the invitation.” The biennial World Cup options 206 of the world’s finest gamers battling in a knockout format of mini-matches over three weeks. The prime three finishers will qualify for the 2026 Candidates Tournament, which decides the challenger for the world title.
