Who is Divya Deshmukh and why is she trending?
Divya has a string of impressive performances, with gold medals in the Chess Olympiad, Asian Championship, World Youth and Junior events, and she has already cemented herself as one of India's most dynamic young talents.
Who is Divya Deshmukh
Divya is a 19-year-old rising talent in the field of Chess. She was born and raised in Nagpur, Maharashtra, and began playing chess at a young age. Her early education at Bhavans Bhagwandas Purohit Vidya Mandir prepared her for a disciplined journey in the sport.
She became India's 21st WGM in 2021 and earned her IM title two years later. With a peak FIDE rating over 2500 in October 2024, she's firmly placed among the top players of her age.
Divya's achievements
Divya has consistently delivered outstanding performances on big stages. She claimed three individual gold medals across Chess Olympiads, added titles at the Asian Championship, World Youth, and World Junior events, and notably won the 2023 Asian Women's Chess Championship in Almaty, according to Wikipedia.
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Additionally, her successes in rapid tournaments like Tata Steel India and Sharjah Challengers in 2023–24 brought to light her versatility across time formats too.
Why is Divya Deshmukh trending
Deshmush has recently been in the headlines as the teen chess star gave India another big reason to celebrate at the FIDE Women's World Cup 2025 by becoming only the second Indian woman ever to reach the semi-finals. The 19-year-old International Master beat fellow Indian Grandmaster Harika Dronavalli by 2-0 in a thrilling rapid tiebreak in Batumi on Monday, after their quarter-final ended in a draw.
Divya now joins chess veteran Koneru Humpy in the final four, marking the first time India has two players in the semi-finals of the Women's World Cup. In the next round, Humpy will take on top-seeded Lei Tingjie of China, while Divya will face another Chinese star, Tan Zhongyi.
The stakes are high as the top three finishers at this tournament will earn a spot in the 2026 Candidates Tournament, which decides who gets to challenge for the Women's World Chess Championship. With Humpy and Divya making it this far, India is now guaranteed at least one spot in that major event.
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