Historic World Cup and GM title for Divya Deshmukh but not equal share of prize money

Here's how much prize money Divya Deshmukh will receive for winning Chess World Cup. (PTI Image)

The World Cup is not the biggest tournament in this sport. It is the World Championship. Otherwise, India would have been boasting of having world chess champions in the men’s and women’s sections who are both teenagers. Divya Deshmukh’s tie-breaker win over veteran Indian Koneru Humpy in the final makes her the youngest winner of the women’s World Cup and gives Indian chess the biggest news after D Gukesh’s triumph in the World Championship last December.

The event held in Batumi in Georgia is arguably the second-biggest competition, after the World Championship and before the Candidates. The knockout format makes it unique and so does the number of participants — it was 107 this time. No Indian had ever come close to winning it. So, a final featuring two from the country was a double bonanza.

Other than winning the biggest title of her career, Divya was richer by $50,000. She secured the Grandmaster title to become the fourth Indian woman to fulfil the dream of every aspiring chess player. Humpy, D Harika and R Vaishali had become Grandmasters before her. The finalists had already sealed two of the three Candidates berths this competition had to offer. Her world ranking should also get better from 18 when the new list is published in August.

Amid celebrations, it also stands out that Divya is getting that amount while the winner of the open section of the World Cup (men and women both can compete if they qualify) will take home much more than that. In the 2023 edition of this biennial meet, the first prize was $110,000. It was $80,000, $60,000 and $50,000 for the players finishing second, third and fourth. This year’s competition will be held in India from October 30 to November 27.

Chess is a sport where the prize money is not equal for men and women in almost all the tournaments barring a handful. In Batumi, there was something for everybody, including $3,750 for those who lost in the first round. But the amounts were not comparable with what is on offer in the open section, where the participants are predominantly men. Humpy got $35,000. For the third and fourth place, it was $25,000 and $20,000.

The game of 64 squares is about prestige alright, but the prize money is not high. The events organised by FIDE (the world body) pay less compared to some of the other and non-conventional events are offering more. The Las Vegas leg of Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour gave $200,000, $140,000 and $100,000 for the top three places. That’s one reason why the top players have opted for freestyle more than those in the middle rung.

However, what Divya gained what shouldn’t be weighed only in terms of money. For the girl from Nagpur turning 20 in December, who is also the reigning world junior girls’ (U-20) champion, the trip to Georgia is memorable for many reasons. Being richer by $50,000 (Rs 43.3 lakh approx) is significant. Add-ons like enhanced prestige and reputation, the World Cup crown, GM title, and Candidates berth make it a handy haul actually.