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.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Divya opted for a Scotch Opening but quickly found herself in trouble as Zhu exploited inaccuracies in the Indian\u2019s play. Despite her best efforts, Divya couldn\u2019t salvage the endgame and now faces a tense rapid tiebreak series to keep her World Cup dream alive.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Joining her in the tiebreaks are R. Vaishali, Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli \u2014 all of whom played out draws for the second day running.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Vaishali, playing black against Kazakhstan\u2019s Meruert Kamalidenova, showed solid defensive technique but couldn\u2019t break through for a win. Humpy and Harika, both playing with the white pieces, also ended their games in draws against seasoned opponents \u2014 Alexandra Kosteniuk of Switzerland and Kateryna Lagno of Russia, respectively.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Meanwhile, three Chinese players booked their spots in the quarterfinals with minimal fuss. Lei Tingjie calmly drew her second game against Uzbekistan\u2019s Umida Omonova, Song Yuxin repeated the feat against Georgia\u2019s Lela Javakhishvili, while Tan Zhongyi secured qualification by holding Yulia Osmak in a safe second-game draw.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Vaishali, playing black against Kazakhstan\u2019s Meruert Kamalidenova, showed solid defensive technique but couldn\u2019t break through for a win. Humpy and Harika, both playing with the white pieces, also ended their games in draws against seasoned opponents \u2014 Alexandra Kosteniuk of Switzerland and Kateryna Lagno of Russia, respectively.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
With only three places up for grabs at the 2026 Women\u2019s Candidates Tournament, the pressure is intensifying. For the four Indian contenders, Friday\u2019s rapid tiebreaks \u2014 beginning at 4:35 PM IST \u2014 will be decisive.<\/p>\r\n\r\n