At just 19, Divya Deshmukh made history by winning the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup, defeating veteran Grandmaster Koneru Humpy in a thrilling final. With this victory, she earned $50,000 in prize money and became the fourth Indian woman to achieve the prestigious Grandmaster title. However, the stark pay disparity between the men’s and women’s chess tournaments drew sharp focus—Divya’s prize was less than half of what the Open category champion receives. Her triumph has reignited discussions on gender pay inequality in chess and spotlighted India’s growing dominance in global women's chess. Learn more about Divya’s remarkable journey and earnings.
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By winning the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Cup, 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh earned a top prize of $50,000 (approx. ₹41.6 lakh) — the highest payout in the women’s tournament.
Veteran grandmaster Koneru Humpy, who finished second, received $35,000 (approx. ₹29.1 lakh) — showcasing a steep drop from the winner’s purse but still a significant reward.
Despite similar formats, the Open World Cup winner receives $110,000, while the Women’s World Cup champion gets just $50,000 — highlighting a glaring gender-based pay gap.
The FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025 had a total prize pool of $691,250, distributed across all rounds. This amount remains smaller compared to the Open section’s multimillion-dollar pool.
In contrast, D Gukesh earned ₹11.45 crore (approx. $1.37 million) for winning the 2024 FIDE World Championship — making Divya’s $50,000 less than 4% of his prize.
Prize money is awarded progressively — starting from $3,750 for Round 1 and rising through each stage, ensuring every player in the knockout format is compensated for performance.
While the 2025 Women’s World Cup saw a minor increase in the total prize pool, the top prize of $50,000 remains unchanged since 2021 — raising concerns over FIDE’s financial prioritization.
Although female players can qualify for the Open World Cup, most opt for the women’s section due to fewer slots and stiffer competition in the open category, affecting their earnings potential.
Both men’s and women’s events follow the same format and time control, yet offer unequal rewards. This continues to fuel demands for equal prize money in global chess events.
Divya Deshmukh’s earnings and the visible gap with male counterparts have reignited the debate on gender equity in sports — making her victory both a personal and political milestone.
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