New Delhi, July 17 (IANS) India’s strong run at the FIDE Women’s World Cup in Batumi took a dramatic turn on Thursday as all four Indian players in the Round of 16 were pushed into tiebreaks, setting up a high-stakes Friday in Georgia.

The biggest twist came in the match between teenage sensation Divya Deshmukh and second-seeded Chinese star Zhu Jiner. Having pulled off a stunning upset in Game 1 on Wednesday, Divya needed only a draw with the black pieces in Game 2 to secure a spot in the quarterfinals. But Zhu hit back hard, capitalising on an error in the middlegame to level the match and force tiebreaks.

Divya opted for a Scotch Opening but quickly found herself in trouble as Zhu exploited inaccuracies in the Indian’s play. Despite her best efforts, Divya couldn’t salvage the endgame and now faces a tense rapid tiebreak series to keep her World Cup dream alive.

Joining her in the tiebreaks are R. Vaishali, Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli — all of whom played out draws for the second day running.

Vaishali, playing black against Kazakhstan’s Meruert Kamalidenova, showed solid defensive technique but couldn’t break through for a win. Humpy and Harika, both playing with the white pieces, also ended their games in draws against seasoned opponents — Alexandra Kosteniuk of Switzerland and Kateryna Lagno of Russia, respectively.

Meanwhile, three Chinese players booked their spots in the quarterfinals with minimal fuss. Lei Tingjie calmly drew her second game against Uzbekistan’s Umida Omonova, Song Yuxin repeated the feat against Georgia’s Lela Javakhishvili, while Tan Zhongyi secured qualification by holding Yulia Osmak in a safe second-game draw.

The day’s biggest upset came from Georgian veteran Nana Dzagnidze, who ousted former world champion Mariya Muzychuk of Ukraine, delighting the local crowd with a composed performance.

With only three places up for grabs at the 2026 Women’s Candidates Tournament, the pressure is intensifying. For the four Indian contenders, Friday’s rapid tiebreaks — beginning at 4:35 PM IST — will be decisive.

–IANS

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