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News18
14 hours ago
- Sport
- News18
A New Polestar Rises In The West: And She Is Bharatiya
Last Updated: A 19-year-old Bharatiya, Divya Deshmukh, defeated her more experienced compatriot to make history. On Monday, July 28, 2025, in Batumi, Georgia, known for its stunning Black Sea coastline, a new star emerged to conquer the global chess scene. A 19-year-old Bharatiya, Divya Deshmukh, defeated her more experienced compatriot to make history. Before this, no Indian had progressed beyond the quarterfinals in this prestigious event, with Harika Dronavalli's 2023 quarterfinal finish being the previous best performance. About the Tournament The 2025 FIDE Women's World Cup, held from July 6 to July 28 in Batumi, Georgia, gathered the world's best female chess players. A total of 107 players from 46 different federations participated, including seventeen of the current top twenty! Chess legends, seasoned professionals, and emerging talents competed for the $50,000 first prize, along with three qualifying spots for the Candidates Tournament. Crowning Glory In a final that went down to the wire, with the two classic games drawn and the first rapid tiebreak drawn, Divya Deshmukh, the 19-year-old International Master from Nagpur, Maharashtra, etched her name into chess history by defeating Grandmaster Humpy Koneru 1.5–0.5 in the second game of the tiebreak to win the Women's World Cup. In the two 15+10 rapid tiebreak games, Divya displayed both resilience and composure. After missing a golden opportunity in the first game, which ended in a draw, she brought elite-level precision to the second. She equalised comfortably as Black, then seized control as Humpy slipped under time pressure—clinching the crown emphatically. Divya now becomes only the third person to win the prestigious title after Russian Swiss Grand Master Alexandra Kosteniuk (2021) and Grand Master Aleksandra Graciano (2023). The Prize With this triumph, Divya not only secured the USD 50,000 first prize but also qualified for the 2026 Candidates Tournament, alongside the second and third-place finishers — two-time world blitz champion GM Humpy Koneru from India and former Women's World Champion Tan Zhongyi of China. Who Else Goes to Candidates Apart from the top three finishers of the 2025 FIDE Women's World Cup, a 107-player single-elimination knockout tournament, there are other pathways to select eight players for the 2026 Candidates Tournament. These pathways include the Women's Grand Prix Series 2024-25 and the Women's Grand Swiss, both of which will provide two spots each. The last spot is reserved for the highest-placed player in the 'FIDE Women's Events 2025-26' series. The winner of the Candidates will earn the right to challenge the reigning World Champion, China's Ju Wenjun. At the Summit Before the tournament began, International Master Divya Deshmukh did not have even one of the Grand Master norms. Typically, a player must collect three GM norms and a 2500 rating, but Divya achieved this differently. By winning the prestigious title, she has automatically become a Grand Master, the highest title in chess. Reflecting on the stellar achievement, Divya shared: 'I still need time to process it. I think it was fate, me getting the Grandmaster title this way, because before this I didn't even have one norm, and now I'm a Grandmaster." What is a Grand Master? Grandmaster is the highest title or ranking that a chess player can achieve. It is awarded by the International Chess Federation (FIDE, French acronym Fédération Internationale des Échecs), the global governing body headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. Among the hierarchy of chess titles, which include International Master (IM), FIDE Master (FM), Candidate Master (CM), and their female-specific counterparts (WGM, WIM, WFM, WCM), the Grandmaster title stands as the most prestigious and challenging to obtain. Divya follows Humpy, R Vaishali, and Harika Dronavalli in achieving the prestigious Grandmaster title. Pathway to Final On her path to victory in the prestigious tournament, Divya vanquished the likes of World No 6 from China, Zhu Jiner, the veteran Indian Harika Dronavalli, former women's world champion from China, Tan Zhongyi, and Humpy. Even the veteran Indian Humpy showed nerves of steel and defeated two strong Chinese players on the way to the final: Lei Tingjie and Song Yuxin, besides taking down the 2021 World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk. A Game of Titans – Praises All the Way Both Divya and Humpy reached the final after defeating many greats of the game. The final proved to be a game of nerves between titans and a celebration of Indian chess that received instant praise from the President and Prime Minister. In a social media post, President Murmu lauded Divya's feat of becoming the first Indian woman to win the title at the age of nineteen. The President also conveyed appreciation to Koneru Humpy for sustaining excellence throughout her illustrious career, highlighting that both finalists of the chess world championship were from India, showcasing the abundance of talent in the country, especially among women. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X to laud the two titans: 'A historic final featuring two outstanding Indian chess players! Proud of the young Divya Deshmukh on becoming FIDE Women's World Chess Champion 2025. Congratulations to her for this remarkable feat, which will inspire several youngsters. Koneru Humpy has also displayed immense prowess throughout the championship. Best wishes to both players for their future endeavours." Five-time World Champion Vishwanathan Anand, who has inspired generations of Indian boys and girls to take up chess, profusely congratulated Divya and Humpy on his X-handle. 'Congratulations to @Divyadeshmukh05 on winning the World Cup. Becoming GM and securing a spot among the candidates. Amazing battle of nerves. @humpy_koneru played a very good event and showed commendable fighting spirit. The great champion she is! It was a great celebration of Indian chess, particularly Women's chess." Winning as a Habit The FIDE website writes about Divya's historic win: 'With this remarkable win, Divya Deshmukh is now not only the 2025 Women's World Cup Winner but also one of the most exciting young stars in the world of chess." Her win must be viewed against the fact that when Koneru Humpy, the idol of Divya Deshmukh, became Grand Master, Divya was not even born. Though Divya is still a budding star, like D. Gukesh, she has shown she is a prodigy in the making. In a short career span, she has won many laurels. Deshmukh was part of the gold medal-winning team at the 2020 Olympiad. In 2021, she became the 21st woman chess International Master. In 2022, she won the Indian Chess Championship. She also won an individual bronze medal at the 2022 Chess Olympiad. In 2023, she won the Asian Chess Championship and came first in the rapid section of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament, despite being the bottom seed. She helped Team India win the gold medal at the 45th Chess Olympiad, scoring 9.5/11 on Board 3 with a performance rating of 2608. She also earned an individual gold medal for the best performance on her board. Future Arrived Yesterday The recently concluded FIDE Women's World Cup witnessed stellar performances from Indians. For the first time in history, four Indians — Koneru Humpy, Harika Dronavalli, Divya Deshmukh, and R. Vaishali — reached the quarter-finals, while Divya and Koneru fought for the title. Before this, Harika Dronavalli's 2023 quarterfinal finish was the previous best performance by an Indian. This tournament marks the incredible arrival of Indian girl power as the future face of world chess. It becomes even more credible considering that China is the dominant chess power in this category, with five of the top ten ranked players from China, which also boasts the past three world champions. top videos View all But no longer. When it comes to chess, both boys and girls – the future belongs to India. Because the future arrived yesterday. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views. tags : chess champion divya deshmukh FIDE world cup Grand Master view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: July 29, 2025, 16:24 IST News opinion Khel Vaani | A New Polestar Rises In The West: And She Is Bharatiya Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
The Hindu
18 hours ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
FIDE Women's Chess World Cup review: Indian chess hits new high with Divya Deshmukh's title win
Indian chess has never had it this good, showcasing its growing prowess with consistency and signalling that the best may still lie ahead. After five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand's glorious years, Indian chess is now witnessing success stories like never before. In the past year alone, the country swept gold at the Chess Olympiad, 18-year-old D. Gukesh triumphed at the Candidates Tournament to become World Champion, and now, 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh has stunned the world with her conquest of the Women's World Cup. The World Cup in Batumi, Georgia, featured a field of 107 players and intense knockout-format battles. The rules tested players' skills across multiple time formats. The elite field included nearly all top players except the reigning World Champion Ju Wenjun. As it turned out, the final battle for glory was fought between compatriots K. Humpy and Divya. At 38, Humpy had experience that exceeded Divya's age, but in the tournament's decisive phase, it was Divya's energy that proved more effective. It was a fairytale finish for the girl from Nagpur, who prevailed 2.5-1.5 after the two classical-format games ended in draws. In the tiebreaks, the second rapid game proved decisive when Humpy faltered more than once in a tense endgame. She could not capitalise on Divya's late oversight and eventually blundered, handing her younger opponent a memorable title win. For Divya, the World Cup was worth much more than the top prize of $50,000 (approximately ₹43.35 lakh). The victory brought with it the Grandmaster title—remarkable considering she arrived at the event without a single GM norm to her name. Divya, who became only the fourth Indian woman to earn the Grandmaster title, took the country's tally to 88. By topping the field, she led a trio of qualifiers for the Candidates Tournament, which decides who will challenge the reigning World Champion from China. After India secured two of the three Candidates spots, Tan Zhongyi beat Chinese teammate and favourite Lei Tingjie 1.5-0.5 by winning the second classical game. For the first time, India outplayed so many strong Chinese challengers in a marquee individual event. Divya ousted the second and third seeds — Zhu Jiner and Tan Zhongyi — while Humpy eliminated top seed Lei Tingjie after clawing back from a 0-1 deficit to win 5-3 in a high-stakes semifinal. Of the nine Indians who competed, four reached the quarterfinals. By some twist of fate, each player who beat an Indian was eventually beaten by another Indian. Generational shift: A final that felt like a baton pass — from Humpy's legacy to Divya's rise. | Photo Credit: Anna Shtourman The celebrations began the moment Humpy joined Divya in the final, ensuring India would take the top two spots and secure a pair of Candidates berths. In recent years, the spotlight has largely been on India's rise in men's chess. Now, it's time to acknowledge how Indian women have steadily seized their place at the global high table. Last year, Humpy finished runner-up in the Candidates, while R. Vaishali placed a strong fourth. The women's team matched the men's gold-winning performance at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest. The year ended with Humpy reclaiming the World Rapid title and Vaishali claiming a surprise bronze in the World Blitz Championship. Divya's World Junior Girls title, though significant, flew under the radar. But her triumph in Batumi dwarfs all her previous successes. Seeded 15th, Divya beat five higher-rated opponents—among them former World Champion Tan Zhongyi and 2022 World Rapid winner Zhu Jiner. Add to that her victories over her idols-turned-teammates Humpy and Harika, and Divya's campaign acquires a whole new dimension. Though Divya's World Cup win will understandably overshadow other performances, it's important to recognise what Humpy accomplished during her run. As the highest non-Chinese seed, Humpy outperformed her fourth seeding by accounting for Lei Tingjie, the 2023 World Championship runner-up, in the semis. She had earlier defeated rising Chinese star Song Yuxin and 2008 World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk, now representing Switzerland. Elsewhere, Harika impressed by defeating seventh seed Kateryna Lagno, the 2018 World Championship runner-up and a former World Rapid Champion. Another commendable performance came from 39th-seeded Vantika Agrawal, who knocked out 2012 World Champion Anna Ushenina on her way to the third round. All told, this World Cup will be remembered not just for Divya and Humpy's dominance but for the grit and resilience shown by the Indian contingent when it mattered most. In short, it was Indian women's chess at its finest, and the best possible global showcase of their rising stature. How the Indians fared Divya Deshmukh (Seed 15 | Rating: 2463 in June 2025) Champion R1: Bye R2: Beat 79-Kesaria Mgeladze (Georgia, 2226) — 1.5–0.5 R3: Beat 18-Teodora Injac (Serbia, 2457) — 1.5–0.5 Pre-QF: Beat 2-Zhu Jiner (China, 2547) — 2.5–1.5 QF: Beat 10-D. Harika (India, 2483) — 3–1 SF: Beat 3-Tan Zhongyi (China, 2546) — 1.5–0.5 Final: Beat 4-K. Humpy (India, 2543) — 2.5–1.5 Koneru Humpy (Seed 5 | Rating: 2543) Runner-up R1: Bye R2: Beat 61-Afruza Khamdamova (Uzbekistan, 2326) — 1.5–0.5 R3: Beat 29-Klaudia Kulon (Poland, 2407) — 1.5–0.5 Pre-QF: Beat 13-Alexandra Kosteniuk (Switzerland, —) — 2.5–1.5 QF: Beat 28-Song Yuxin (China, 2410) — 1.5–0.5 SF: Beat 1-Lei Tingjie (China, 2552) — 5–3 Final: Lost to 15-Divya Deshmukh — 1.5–2.5 D. Harika (Seed 10 | Rating: 2483) Quarterfinalist R1: Bye R2: Beat 55-P. V. Nandhidhaa (India, 2343) — 1.5–0.5 R3: Beat 23-Stavroula Tsolakidou (Greece, 2428) — 4–2 Pre-QF: Beat 7-Kateryna Lagno (Russia, 2515) — 3.5–2.5 QF: Lost to 15-Divya Deshmukh — 1–3 R. Vaishali (Seed 11 | Rating: 2481) Quarterfinalist R1: Bye R2: Beat 54-Maili-Jade Quellet (Canada, 2350) — 2–0 R3: Beat 22-Carissa Yip (USA, 2431) — 4–2 Pre-QF: Beat 59-Meruert Kamalidenova (Kazakhstan, 2330) — 4.5–3.5 QF: Lost to 3-Tan Zhongyi (China, 2546) — 0.5–1.5 Other Indian Participants Vantika Agarwal — Reached Third Round Padmini Rout — Reached Second Round P. V. Nandhidhaa — Reached Second Round K. Priyanka — Reached Second Round Kiran Manisha Mohanty — Lost in First Round
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Judit Polgar impressed with Divya Deshmukh's Women's World Cup victory, says ‘Indian chess is unbelievable! But do…'
Divya Deshmukh wasn't even a Grandmaster before the FIDE Women's Chess World Cup 2025 final. But now she is India's 88th Grandmaster, virtue of her victory against Koneru Humpy in the title clash. Divya's rise is just like a Hollywood movie and reaching the final also saw her book a berth at the Candidates Tournament. Judit Polgar lauded 'Indian chess' after Divya Deshmukh's FIDE Women's World Cup final win. The 19-year-old was visibly emotional as she couldn't believe that she beat the much-experienced Humpy. She broke down in tears and took some time to process the moment and then went straight to her mother, who was at the sidelines. They hugged each other and her mother calmed her down. Judit Polgar on Divya Deshmukh Reacting to Divya's win, chess legend Judit Polgar took to X to hail the youngster for winning a 'tense tiebreak'. 'Congrats to@DivyaDeshmukh05, who has clinched the 2025 Women's Chess World Cup title, defeating her compatriot Koneru Humpy in a tense tiebreak,' wrote Polgar. 'Indian chess is just unbelievable! But do not forget: it has reasons', she further added. India has seen a huge rise in chess lately, especially since D Gukesh became the men's World Champion last year. Meanwhile, the likes of Humpy, R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi and R Vaishali have been putting in dominant displays. The win also saw Divya climb to 15th position in the Classical live chess rankings, from 18th. The final saw both classical games end in draws on Saturday and Sunday. Then in the tie-breaks, Divya won 1.5-0.5, winning the second Rapid game The first Rapid game ended in a draw. Meanwhile, her emotional reaction after her win has broken the internet, with videos of the moment going viral on social media. Fans have been impressed by her underdog story, with everyone congratulating the Nagpur native on X. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand took to X to pass on their congratulations.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
PM Narendra Modi lauds Divya Deshmukh after 19-year-old defeats Koneru Humpy to win FIDE Women's Chess World Cup
It was 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh's moment of glory as she defeated Koneru Humpy to win the FIDE Women's Chess World Cup final. A berth in the final got her a spot at the Candidates Tournament, and then winning it saw her become India's 88th Grandmaster. PM Narendra Modi congratulated both Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh.(ANI/FIDE) The final began with two classical games played on Saturday and Sunday, both ended in draws. The first Rapid game ended in a draw and in the next, Divya bagged a stunning win with the Black pieces to clinch the title. Reacting to the win, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to X and hauled both players for a historic all-Indian final. He wrote, 'A historic final featuring two outstanding Indian chess players!' "Proud of the young Divya Deshmukh on becoming FIDE Women's World Chess Champion 2025. Congratulations to her for this remarkable feat, which will inspire several youngsters. Koneru Humpy has also displayed immense prowess throughout the championship. Best wishes to both players for their future endeavours', he further added. Divya put Humpy under immense pressure in the opening tie-breaker and then went for the kill in the return fixture. In return game, Humpy lost control in the 40th move, as she tried to attack Divya through a pawn sacrifice. Then she ran out of time and blundered in the endgame again, leading to a theoretical win position for Divya. In the opening tie-breaker, Divya got an isolated Queen pawn middle game from the Petroff defence and then sacrificed her pawn to give her opponent a strong chance. But then Humpy's time was running out, and soon the game ended in a draw. Even Indian President Droupadi Murmu joined the bandwagon and congratulated Divya for her win. She wrote on X, 'My heartiest congratulations to Divya Deshmukh who has become the first Indian woman to win the FIDE Women's World Cup, that too, at a very young age of nineteen. Koneru Humpy being the runner up, both the finalists of the chess world championship were from India. This underlines the abundance of talent in our country, especially among women.'
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Divya Deshmukh cries with tears of joy in her mother's arms after defeating Konery Humpy to win Women's Chess World Cup
Divya Deshmukh broke down in tears, and couldn't believe that she defeated Koneru Humpy in the tiebreaks to become the FIDE Women's World Cup Champion 2025. The 19-year-old also became India's 88th Grandmaster. She defeated Humpy in an all-Indian final, which went to tie-breaks and Divya won 1.5-0.5. The final began with both classical games on Saturday and Sunday ending in draws. Divya Deshmukh was visibly emotional. The first Rapid game ended in a draw and in the next, Divya rose to the occation, bagging a sensational win with the Black pieces to win the match. She has also qualified for the Candidates Tournament by entering the finals, and also became the first Indian to win the FIDE Women's World Cup, which also directly go her the Grandmaster title as a result. In the winning moment, she broke down in tears and was visibly emotional. She was joined by her mother, and during her post-match interview, she kept it short, revealing that she needed to process the moment. 'I need time to process it (win). I think it was fate, me getting the Grandmaster title this way because before this (tournament) I didn't even have one (GM) norm, and now I am the Grandmaster', she said. Full video of Divya Deshmukh, after defeating Koneru Humpy: The win comes at a time when India are cementing their domination in chess, with the likes of D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa and Erigaisi hogging the spotlight. She joins Humpy, R Vaishali and Dronavalli Harka in the list of women's Grandmasters in India. During her career, she has won multiple golds at the World Junior C'ships, Asian Championship and also the World Youth C'ship. She is a native from Nagpur and is one of the leading personalities of chess in India.
