Koneru Humpy defeated China's Zhu Jiner to jump into sole lead with 5.5 points after the seventh round of the FIDE Women's Grand Prix in Pune on Monday.
The tie-breaker, which will be a series of shorter-duration games, will be played on Monday to determine the winner.
The stars competing at the Norway Chess event were in for an authentic Wild West surprise when they had to don cowboy hats, roper boots, well worn-out jeans to indulge in some rodeo activity.
Apart from Tan, top seed Tingjie Lei of China also made it to the semifinals at the expense of Nana Dzagnidze of Georgia.
FIDE, the world chess governing body, has rejected calls to move the Candidates Tournament from Cyprus despite security concerns arising from regional conflicts. The tournament is scheduled to begin on March 28.
Anemone Kulczak, the chief arbiter at Norway Chess, believes reigning world champion D Gukesh remains the clear favourite to defend his crown later this year.
Experience prevailed over youth as India's Koneru Humpy defeated compatriot Divya Deshmukh and China's Zhu Jiner emerged the sole leader in an eventful third round of the FIDE Women's Grand Prix in Pune on Wednesday.
Indian International Master Divya Deshmukh made a huge stride forward, defeating second seed Jiner Zhu of China in the first game of the pre-quarterfinals of the FIDE World Women's Chess Cup in Batumi, Georgia, on Wednesday.
'She is now a role model for the upcoming young generation. And I am sure that this victory will definitely motivate and inspire the Indian women, and those who are coming up.'
India has a bright future in chess as we have many players in top 10 rankings: Humpy
Viswanathan Anand shares his views on R. Praggnanandhaa's chances at the upcoming FIDE Candidates tournament, highlighting potential rivals and the tournament's significance.
In 2002, she became the first Indian woman to achieve the GM title, securing her place in chess history. Today, she remains India's top ranked women's player in the country.
Grandmaster Divya Deshmukh has said she was not under any kind of pressure while playing the FIDE Women's World Cup final against compatriot Koneru Humpy as she had "nothing to lose".
Gukesh suffers crushing loss against Nakamura, Erigaisi wins in Norway Chess
This marks the first time that four players from a single country have reached the quarter-finals of the FIDE Women's World Chess Cup.
Harika lost 1-0 to China's Hou Yifan
With her family in tow, Humpy met the PM and described it as a "once-in-a-lifetime privilege."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi for winning a bronze medal at the World Blitz Championships in Doha, saying it mirrored the country's rapid strides in the sport.
D Gukesh aims to rebound at Norway Chess after a challenging start, while R Praggnanandhaa enjoys a strong position. Gukesh's performance against Praggnanandhaa in round five will be crucial in determining his title contention.
D Gukesh aims to recover at Norway Chess after a difficult start, while R Praggnanandhaa enjoys a strong position. Gukesh's performance against Praggnanandhaa in round five will be crucial for his title aspirations.
Divya Deshmukh has embraced the 'confession box' at Norway Chess, highlighting its potential to enhance player clarity and viewer engagement, despite its slow adoption among Indian grandmasters.
Former world blitz and rapid champion Anna Muzychuk discusses the upcoming World Chess Championships, highlighting the importance of psychological momentum and pressure handling for Indian players D Gukesh and R Vaishali.
Divya Deshmukh earned the biggest success of her career by clinching the FIDE Women's Chess World Cup with a tie-break win over compatriot Koneru Humpy.
This is Koneru Humpy's second World Rapid title after she had triumphed in the 2019 edition in Moscow.
American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura has criticised the International Chess Federation (FIDE) for its stringent anti-cheating measures at the Candidates Tournament in Cyprus.
D Gukesh defeated R Praggnanandhaa in a classical battle at the Norway Chess tournament, while Divya Deshmukh leads the women's section after a victory over China's Zhu Jiner.
R Praggnanandhaa leads a fearless new generation at the Candidates 2026 as veterans face a shifting chess landscape ahead of a world title clash.
A former school principal of newly crowned chess champion from Nagpur Divya Deshmukh remembers her as a student with calm composure who started playing the board game when she was just five and also excelled in studies.
Having never missed his home tournament in the last 13 years, Carlsen had cast doubts over his participation this year after expressing a desire to gradually move away from classical chess. Norway Chess is a classical-format event and Carlsen has won it seven times.
...'you are 37. It's quite difficult when you get older to keep that motivation and stay sharp when required.'
Viswanathan Anand is the third Indian in the top 10, occupying the 10th spot with an ELO rating of 2750.
Grandmaster Koneru Humpy will spearhead the Indian challenge in the Women's candidates' chess tournament that will get underway in Toronto, Canada from Wednesday.
The world rapid champion Humpy got the better of Russian 6-5 to set up a last four clash with world No.1 Hou Yifan of China.
Gukesh, Erigaisi snapped up by PBG Alaskan Knights in GCL draft
World rapid champion Koneru Humpy claimed her second title in the last two months by emerging triumphant at the Cairns Cup chess tournament following a draw against compatriot Dronavalli Harika in the ninth and final round, in St Louis, United States. Humpy, who was crowned World champion in December, finished the tournament with six points. The icing on the cake was that Humpy will gain five ELO rating points (the basis for international rankings) and move to second place in the world rankings.
She has a current rating of 1551.
The men's team comprises Grandmasters D Gukesh, Gujrathi, Erigaisi, P Harikrishna and R Praggnanandhaa.
Teen prodigy Divya Deshmukh stunned seasoned grandmaster Koneru Humpy in a tense tiebreak to win the 2025 FIDE Women's World Cup in Batumi, Georgia, rewriting Indian chess history at just 19.
Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan leads the Candidates chess tournament after defeating Fabiano Caruana, while R Praggnanandhaa drew his game against Matthias Bluebaum. In the women's event, Anna Muzychuk joined Bibisara Assaubayeva in the lead.
Norway Chess has consistently innovated to enhance the experience for players and fans, introducing features like the 'confession box' and the Armageddon tie-break to make elite chess more engaging and decisive.
