India’s Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh made a strong start to the semifinals of the FIDE Women’s World Cup in Toronto on Tuesday, both securing confident draws with the black pieces against Chinese opponents. With two Indians and two Chinese players in the final four, Asia’s dominance in women’s chess remains unchallenged. But the road to the final now hinges on nerves, precision—and a strong performance in the return leg. Humpy Surprises Lei with Rare Opening India’s top-ranked woman Grandmaster, Koneru Humpy, stunned Tingjie Lei early with an unusual opening line rarely seen at the elite level. By move four, the Chinese GM found herself in unfamiliar territory, forced to expend significant energy just to maintain equality. Despite a tense middle game, Humpy exchanged queens at an opportune moment, transitioning into a bishop endgame with opposite-colored bishops—ensuring safety and simplifying to a draw. Divya Holds Off Former World Champion Earlier, Divya Deshmukh held her ground impressively against Zhongyi Tan, the 2017 Women’s World Champion. The game followed the Queen’s Gambit Declined, with Divya steering the position into calm waters through timely exchanges. Zhongyi, unable to pose any real threats, saw the position dissolve into a balanced endgame, with both sides left with a rook, a minor piece, and three pawns on one flank. A draw was the inevitable conclusion. “Divya didn’t give Tan a single tactical opportunity. Her piece play was confident, and her defence was clinical,” noted a tournament observer. A Chance to Shine with White Having drawn their black games, both Indians will now enjoy the advantage of the white pieces in the return leg. If those games also end in draws, the USD 691,250 event will move to tiebreaks featuring faster time controls. Notably, three spots are available for the next FIDE Women’s Candidates Tournament, meaning at least one Indian is guaranteed qualification—another sign of India’s growing strength in women’s chess. (with PTI inputs)