Latest news with #DiviBijesh
Hans India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hans India
Kerala's young chess prodigy makes one move at a time
Thiruvananthapuram: When Woman Candidate Master (WCM) Divi Bijesh sits before a chessboard, the world around her disappears. At just 10 years old, the fifth-grade student of Allen Feldman Public School in the state capital already boasts an enviable resume. Her latest feat -- a silver medal at the National Under-11 Girls Chess Championship in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, last week -- is yet another jewel in her crown. In Jalgaon, Divi tied for first place with 9 points alongside Maharashtra's Krishna Tamhane Jain and Tamil Nadu's Poojashree R. Venkalav. The Buchholz tiebreak placed Krishna first, Divi second, and Poojashree third. For Divi, the result was more than just a medal -- it was a reaffirmation of years of effort. 'I started playing chess when I was 7, thanks to my brother Devnath,' she recalls. 'From the first game, I loved it. Chess teaches you to think ahead, focus, and never give up.' Her coach, G.S. Sreejith, along with her supportive family, has been instrumental in her success. The year 2025 has been exceptional for Divi. She became World Champion in both the World Cup U-10 and the World Cadet Rapid U-10 categories, earned silver as World Vice Champion in the World Cadet Blitz U-10, and finished runner-up in the World School Chess Championship. This comes in addition to her earlier Under-11 National title and a string of medals at Asian and Commonwealth championships. Behind these achievements is a family making constant sacrifices. 'Travel, training, and tournaments are financially demanding,' says her father, Bijesh. 'We're looking for a sponsor so she can seize every opportunity ahead.' Away from the chessboard, Divi finds balance in another passion -- sketching. After intense matches, she often unwinds with pencil and paper, a self-taught hobby that offers her creative calm. Her journey is as much about inspiring others as it is about winning titles. 'I hope more kids, especially girls, will take up chess,' she says with a smile, adding, 'It's fun, and it teaches patience and determination.' From a curious 7-year-old to a world champion, Divi's story is still unfolding -- and with every move, she inches closer to her next checkmate.
Deccan Herald
03-08-2025
- Sport
- Deccan Herald
Govt committed to empowering young athletes: Minister Khadse
The 38th National Under-11 Chess Championship got underway here on Saturday with more than 550 players, a majority of them FIDE-rated, competing for a total prize purse of Rs 8 lakhs. The championship is being conducted in the Swiss League format across 11 competitive rounds, offering participants the opportunity to improve their FIDE international ratings. Among the noteworthy contestants are Advik Agrawal from Pune (FIDE Rating 2251) and Divi Bijesh from Kerala (FIDE Rating 1869). Inaugurating the tournament, Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Raksha Khadse laid stress on the significance of opportunities during formative years, aligning with the ministry's vision to foster a vibrant sports culture at the grassroots level. She highlighted the government's commitment to empowering young athletes through flagship initiatives like the 'Khelo Bharat Niti 2025' and the 'Khelo India' programme. These initiatives aim to nurture sporting talent, promote fitness, and provide the necessary infrastructure to develop future sporting champions. She extended her best wishes to the players, noting that chess instills invaluable qualities such as discipline and intellectual sharpness, laying the foundation for their future success, in both sports and life. Players from Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, Punjab, and Rajasthan among others are competing in the tournament.
New Indian Express
13-07-2025
- Sport
- New Indian Express
Indian chess players bag seven medals in FIDE WC
INDIA has shown its mettle in chess by securing an impressive 7 medals out of a total of 18 at the FIDE World Cup in the Under-8 to Under-12 age categories. This marks the highest medal haul by any nation at the event. The tournament, featuring the world's most promising young chess players, witnessed intense competition across multiple age and gender divisions. The Indian contingent rose to the challenge, clinching three World Championship titles and four additional podium finishes. Medal Winners: Gold Medals (World Champions) Sarbartho Mani: Under-10 (Open); Divi Bijesh: Under-10 (Girls); Pratitee Bordoloi: Under-12 (Girls); Silver Medals: Oishik Mondal: Under-10 (Open); Aadya Gowda: Under-12 (Girls); Bronze Medals: Aarit Kapil: Under-10 (Open); Sharvaanica AS: Under-10 (Girls).
Indian Express
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Indian chess federation hands out stipends worth Rs 42 lakh to promising young players
The All India Chess Federation (AICF) has launched the Top National Players Stipend Scheme (TNPSS) which saw the national chess federation disburse stipends to deserving Indian players ranging from ₹60,000 to ₹1,50,000 per player. In all, the federation disbursed a total of ₹42,30,000 to deserving players across the Under 7 to Under 19 categories, both open and girls, based on their stellar performances in last year's nationals. The AICF said that the TNPSS boasts an ambitious budgetary outlay of ₹6,15,60,000. A total of 42 top-ranked players, based on their last year performances at national level, are the first beneficiaries of this scheme, representing the pinnacle of talent across the U7, U9, U11, U13, U15, U17, and U19 age categories. The stipends are for the quarter ranging from the months of April to June of the current financial year. 'For too long, financial constraints have cast a shadow over the aspirations of our chess players. The demands of travel, training, and international competition often forces players to abandon their passion which is a profound loss for our nation,' AICF President Nitin Narang said in a statement while explaining the idea behind TNPSS. ' TNPSS is our definitive answer to these challenges, a bold stride towards a player-centric policy that empowers our youth to focus solely on honing their skills and conquering the chessboard.' 'For the first time in our history, we are directly investing in the future of our 'golden girls and boys', providing them with the sustained financial bedrock they need to transform their talent into triumph. This is more than a token; it's a demonstration of our profound support and a catalyst for their dreams,' Narang added. 'One of the key objectives is to increase the importance of national tournaments, as they are the foundation for building a strong chess ecosystem in Bharat. It is at the nationals where we can identify and nurture talent.' Under 7: Open: Devanarayanan Kalliyath, Prayank Gaonkar, Aaradhyo Guin | Girls: Aaranya R, Arpitangshi Bhattacharya, Saiaastha Singh Under 9: Open: Nidhish Shyamal, Aarit Kapil, Divith Reddy Adulla | Girls: Kiyanna Parihaar, Divi Bijesh, Vanshika Rawat Under 11: Open: Madhvendra Pratap Sharma, Advik Amit Agrawal, Aarav A | Girls: Pratitee Bordoloi, Aadya Gowda, Divi Bijesh Under 13: Open: Reyan Md, Sherla Prathamesh, Pranav Sai Ram R S | Girls: Saranya Devi Narahari, Nivedita V C, Nihira Koul Under 15: Open: Ilamparthi A R, Vaz Ethan, Sherla Prathamesh | Girls: Prishita Gupta, Jain Ashita, Saparya Ghosh Under 17: Open: Sriram Adarsh Uppala, Arpith S Bijoy, Jaiveer Mahendru | Girls: Tejaswini G, Kirthika B, Anupam M Sreekumar Under 19: Open: Adireddy Arjun, Sourath Biswas, Jaiveer Mahendru | Girls: Mrittika Mallick, Velpula Sarayu, Sneha Halder
