In a defining moment for Indian chess, 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh clinched the FIDE Women’s World Cup title with a composed and clinical win over Koneru Humpy in Batumi, Georgia. The result not only gave her the biggest title of her young career but also secured her final Grandmaster norm, making her the fourth Indian woman to become a GM.Ranked 15th going into the tournament, Divya stitched together a remarkable run, defeating several higher-rated opponents before facing Humpy, India’s top-ranked woman and the reigning World Rapid champion in the final.After both classical games ended in draws, the match moved to rapid tiebreaks. The first game was evenly contested, but in the second, Divya showed steel under pressure, capitalising on Humpy’s late endgame errors to seal the match. The performance was a showcase of sharp preparation, poise, and fearless play from a teenager whose rise has been swift and emphatic.This victory has announced Divya as a key figure in Indian chess’s new generation and marks a significant step in the country’s deepening influence on the global stage.
List of Divya Deshmukh’s achievements
- First Indian woman to win the Chess World Cup
- Double gold medallist (team and individual) at the Budapest Olympiad in 2024
- Second teenage Indian girl to earn a Grandmaster title (after Koneru Humpy in 2002)
- Third woman to win the World Cup after Alexandra Kosteniuk (2021) and Aleksandra Goryachkina (2023)
- Fourth Indian woman to become a Grandmaster, after Humpy, Dronavalli Harika and R. Vaishali
- 44th woman globally to earn the GM title
- 88th Indian overall to become a Grandmaster
Poll
What do you think is the most significant achievement of Divya Deshmukh’s recent victory?
Notably, Divya has managed achieve all of these feats at 19 years of age. For her, the win is a career breakthrough. For Indian chess, it is another milestone in a golden era.
