The FIDE Women’s Grand Prix Pune 2025 is a series of elite tournaments organised by FIDE for Women’s players. As a part of the 2024-2025 cycle, 20 players compete in six Women’s Grand Prix tournaments, with each player participating in three out of the six events. Each WGP tournament features ten players and is played in a round-robin format. In every tournament, players earn WGP points based on their final standings. Two players with the most cumulative points in the WGP Series will qualify for the FIDE Women’s Candidates 2026, which will determine the Challenger to Ju Wenjun, the current Women’s World Champion. 

(Amanora The Fern Hotel, Credits: Booking.com website)

The fifth leg of the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2024-25 kicked off in Pune, India, on the 14th of April 2025. The venue was the beautiful Amanora The Fern hotel. It was an exciting moment for Indian chess fans, especially because all of the country’s top four women players – GM Koneru Humpy, GM Harika Dronavalli, GM Rameshbabu Vaishali, and IM Divya Deshmukh were participating. They were joined by a strong lineup featuring GM Zhu Jiner, IM Polina Shuvalova, IM Alina Kashlinskaya, IM Nurgyul Salimova, IM Batkhuyag Munguntuul, and IM Melia Salome.

(From the Opening Ceremony, Credits: FIDE)

Since it had been quite a while since such a major chess event took place in India, I decided to pack my bags and travel from Hyderabad to Pune to witness the action firsthand. One of the special opportunities at this event was a chance to experience the games from inside the playing hall for a brief period, without any devices, to maintain strict anti-cheating protocols. 

I arrived in Pune on the 17th of April 2025, just in time for Round 4. The tournament standings after Round 3 were as follows – GM Zhu Jiner was leading with 2.5/3, closely followed by GM Koneru Humpy, IM Divya Deshmukh, IM Polina Shuvalova, and IM Batkhuyag Munguntuul, all with 2 points each. 

Before the round, I got a chance to greet all the players as they were arriving for the tournament. If you would like to visit a tournament, I would recommend asking for pictures or autographs after the games are done. Unfortunately, I was a little constrained on time, so I had to ask before the beginning of the round. Some players were in their zone and preferred to give autographs after the game. But some were able to give me an autograph as there were only 1-2 fans around. I also got this memorable picture with IM Divya Deshmukh, who was kind enough to agree to a picture before the game.

(Picture with IM Divya Deshmukh)

I also got a chance to meet NM Sahil Tickoo who along with IM Rakesh Kulkarni, were doing the commentary for the event. They did a great job throughout the tournament, explaining all the key ideas in the complex games in a very simple and fun manner. 

(Picture with NM Sahil Tickoo)

The games began at 3 PM, and I went to the spectator room where we could follow the games with live commentary. There were also refreshments provided for the spectators. As the round progressed, the commentary team was joined by GM Harshit Raja, who is from Pune. GM

Harshit is always very happy to share his insights into the games and expressed happiness that such an important tournament was taking place in his hometown. 

And then came the absolute highlight, the experience of watching the games from inside the tournament hall. It was one of the most intense chess experiences I’ve ever had. Since no electronic devices were allowed inside for fair-play reasons, it forced me to soak in the moment fully. Not all the boards were completely visible from the spectator section, but I had a clear view of the Board 2 clash between IM Polina Shuvalova and GM Koneru Humpy, who were both on 2 points. 

(You can see me looking at the game between IM Polina and GM Humpy, Credits: FIDE)

Round 4 turned out to be incredibly exciting, with four out of the five games ending decisively!

On Board 1, IM Divya Deshmukh found herself slightly worse coming out of the opening but fought back brilliantly. She eventually outplayed her opponent, IM Melia Salome, in a major-piece endgame to secure a full point.

On Board 2, GM Koneru Humpy demonstrated her world-class endgame skills to beat IM Polina Shuvalova in a game which transitioned directly from the opening to the endgame.

The all-Indian clash on Board 3 between GM Harika Dronavalli and GM Rameshbabu Vaishali ended in a draw.

Over on Board 4, IM Nurgyul Salimova managed to defeat IM Batkhuyag Munguntuul in a back-and-forth battle. And finally, on Board 5, GM Zhu Jiner kept her momentum going, defeating IM Alina Kashlinskaya to maintain her sole lead with 3.5/4 points.

(Results of Round 4, Credits: FIDE Official Website) 

Fast forward to the end of the tournament, GM Koneru Humpy emerged as the champion with a score of 7/9! GM Zhu Jiner also finished with 7/9 but finished in second place on tiebreaks.

It is safe to say that they dominated the events as IM Divya Deshmukh capped off a brilliant tournament by finishing third with 5.5/9. It was a wonderful outcome for the home crowd as not only did an Indian player win the event, but Maharashtra’s best woman player, Divya, made it to the podium as well. 

(Tournament Crosstable, Credits: FIDE Official Website) 

Humpy’s victory also catapulted her to second place in the overall FIDE Women’s Grand Prix Pune 2025 standings. Having completed her three tournaments in the series, she now hopes that GM Zhu Jiner doesn’t surpass her after the sixth and final leg of the Grand Prix in Austria.

All in all, the tournament was a phenomenal success. The event was impeccably organized by FIDE, AICF, MCA, Amanora The Fern, and the various sponsors. They created an atmosphere where players could perform at their very best. And the players absolutely gave it their everything. The fans witnessed an event full of decisive games and fighting chess from start to finish. 

(The Winners, Credits: Shahid Ahmed, Chessbase India)

For me, it was one of the most unforgettable chess experiences I’ve ever had. I got a chance to meet top players, watch world-class games live, enjoy fantastic commentary, and most importantly, just soak in the magic of elite tournament chess without any digital distractions. If you ever get a chance to attend such an event, I would urge you not to miss out!