Latest news with #Divya
The Hindu
an hour ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
FIDE Women's World Cup: Divya Deshmukh storms into finals
International Master Divya Deshmukh stormed into the final, defeating former world champion Zhongyi Tan of China in the second game of the semifinals and winning the mini-match 1.5-0.5 in the FIDE Women's World Chess Cup here on Wednesday (July 23, 2025). In the process, Divya became the first Indian to make it to the Candidates' tournament. The stakes are high here as the final berth also ensured her entry in the women's Candidates' tournament next year that will decide the challenger to Wenjun Ju, the reigning women's world champion. Having already eliminated second seed Zoner Jhu of China and then compatriot Grandmaster D Harika in the quarterfinals, Divya continued to be the giant slayer of the event and her game against Tan was a testament to her growing chess skills. With the Indian boys making a great headway at the top of the chess world, it was already time for the girls to have a say and Divya is the new girl on the block after R Vaishali. It was tricks and strategy at display by Divya as she converted to an Alapin Sicilian as white and her time exchange of Bishops for knights guaranteed a pawn plus endgame. Tan had her chances in the middle game but the former women's world champion did not make use of them and at some point simply missed the thread of the position. As the endgame arrived, Divya had a couple of extra pawns to coast but Tan remained resourceful right till the end of the game. Divya had an outside passed pawn after the dust subsided and it should have been an easy picking, but the fortunes fluctuated a lot. For the record, the game lasted 101 moves. In the second semifinal, Koneru Humpy drew with top seed Tingjie Lei of China. Playing white, Humpy faced the Slav defense and went for the iconic exchange variation that normally yields to either equal or giving white the better prospect. The opening yielded nothing special for Humpy but she got the Bishop pair against two knights to prepare for an advantage. The Queens were traded as early as on 19th move and the payers eventually reached a rook and pawn endgame wherein the Indian enjoyed an extra pawn. However, with the extra pawn not so relevant, Lei stayed in the loop as the position was not changing much. The draw was a just result when Humpy had just one extra pawn remaining in the rook and pawns endgame and the point was split after 75 moves. Humpy will now play the tie-breaker against Lei in shorter format.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
3 hours ago
- Sport
- First Post
'I just need some sleep and food': Divya Deshmukh's first reaction after making history at FIDE World Cup
Divya Deshmukh created history by becoming the first Indian to reach the FIDE Women's World Cup 2025 final after defeating China's Tan Zhongyi. The 19-year-old also secured a spot in the Women's Candidates Tournament thanks to the win. read more Divya Deshmukh made history on Wednesday by becoming the first Indian to reach the final of the FIDE Women's World Cup 2025. The 19-year-old International Master defeated China's Tan Zhongyi 1.5-0.5 in the semifinals to secure her place in the summit clash. With this achievement, Divya has also qualified for next year's prestigious Women's Candidates Tournament. Divya's reaction after historic win After the intense match, Divya was almost at a loss for words. 'Thank you so much for all your love and support. I don't really have much to say. My thoughts are not clear right now,' she said. 'I need some sleep. These days have been so anxious. I just need some sleep and some food,' she added with a smile, looking exhausted after a gruelling victory. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Right after her win, 🇮🇳 Divya Deshmukh thanks her fans — and says all she needs now is 'some sleep… and some food.' 😄#FIDEWorldCup @DivyaDeshmukh05 — International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) July 23, 2025 The Indian youngster sealed her place in the final after winning with white pieces in Game 2 of the semifinal clash. The first game had ended in a draw where Divya played with black pieces. Divya's journey to the final has been nothing short of spectacular. She first shocked China's Zhu Jiner with a 2.5-1.5 win in the fourth round. She then defeated Indian Grandmaster Harika Dronavalli in the quarterfinals, winning 3-1 after back-to-back draws in the classical games. There is still a chance for an all-Indian final. Grandmaster Koneru Humpy is facing China's top seed Lei Tingjie in the other semifinal. The two have drawn both their classical games and will now play tie-breaks on Thursday to decide the second finalist. If Humpy wins, it will be a historic moment for Indian chess with two Indians contesting the FIDE Women's World Cup final. Divya will now get a two-day break before her final game. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
FIDE Women's World Cup: Divya Deshmukh storms into finals
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Batumi (Georgia): International Master Divya Deshmukh stormed into the final, defeating former world champion Zhongyi Tan of China in the second game of the semifinals and winning the mini-match 1.5-0.5 in the FIDE Women's World Chess Cup here on the process, Divya became the first Indian to make it to the Candidates' tournament The stakes are high here as the final berth also ensured her entry in the women's Candidates' tournament next year that will decide the challenger to Wenjun Ju, the reigning women's world already eliminated second seed Zoner Jhu of China and then compatriot Grandmaster D Harika in the quarterfinals, Divya continued to be the giant slayer of the event and her game against Tan was a testament to her growing chess the Indian boys making a great headway at the top of the chess world, it was already time for the girls to have a say and Divya is the new girl on the block after R was tricks and strategy at display by Divya as she converted to an Alapin Sicilian as white and her time exchange of Bishops for knights guaranteed a pawn plus had her chances in the middle game but the former women's world champion did not make use of them and at some point simply missed the thread of the the endgame arrived, Divya had a couple of extra pawns to coast but Tan remained resourceful right till the end of the had an outside passed pawn after the dust subsided and it should have been an easy picking, but the fortunes fluctuated a lot. For the record, the game lasted 101 the second semifinal, Koneru Humpy drew with top seed Tingjie Lei of China. Playing white, Humpy faced the Slav defense and went for the iconic exchange variation that normally yields to either equal or giving white the better opening yielded nothing special for Humpy but she got the Bishop pair against two knights to prepare for an advantage. The Queens were traded as early as on 19th move and the payers eventually reached a rook and pawn endgame wherein the Indian enjoyed an extra with the extra pawn not so relevant, Lei stayed in the loop as the position was not changing much. The draw was a just result when Humpy had just one extra pawn remaining in the rook and pawns endgame and the point was split after 75 will now play the tie-breaker against Lei in shorter format.
News18
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Divya Agarwal Remembers Late YouTuber Danish Zehen, Says ‘Regret Not Being Able To See Him Outside'
Divya Agarwal recalls her bond with late YouTuber Danish Zehen from Ace of Space, saying she regrets not getting to meet him outside the reality show. Divya Agarwal is one of the most talked-about celebrities in the reality space. She gained recognition after appearing on Splitsvilla and rose to further fame with Ace of Space, a one-of-a-kind show where she was a co-contestant with the late YouTuber Danish Zehen. Now, in a recent interview, the actor-model opened up about what she will regret the most about the show. In conversation with Filmygyan, Divya shared, 'I will always have this regret that I couldn't see him outside that house, but we had some great times. It took me a while to realise what kind of a guy he was because we were in separate rooms. But jab dosti badhti gayi, I started liking him. He was really talented, and it was that time when YouTubers were doing meaningful things." Ace of Space contestant and popular face on YouTube, Danish Zehen, died in a tragic accident in 2018. Reportedly, the 21-year-old was returning from a wedding when the accident took place near Vashi, Navi Mumbai. Danish was quite popular on social media and had one million followers on Instagram. His sudden death left his fans and followers in deep shock. Meanwhile, Divya appears to be embracing a more balanced and reflective stage of life, as she is now married to businessman Apurva Padgaonkar. The couple tied the knot in February last year. Divya and Apurva had a traditional Marathi wedding ceremony in Mumbai. A few months ago, Divya and Apurva's divorce rumours surfaced on social media. However, reacting to these speculations, the actress clarified, 'I made no noise. I made no comments or stories. I deleted 2,500 posts. Yet the media chose to see and react only to my marriage. It's funny how people see and expect things out of me. I have always done something people never expected out of me. And what are they expecting now – the babies or divorce… none of it is happening (side-eyes emoji)." On the work front, the actress has acted in series like Cartel, Puncch Beat, Abhay, and Fuh Se Fantasy. She also started her own dance academy, Elevate Dance Institute. First Published: 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.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
FIDE Women's World Cup: Divya Deshmukh creates history, qualifies for Candidates tournament
Divya Deshmukh is the first-ever Indian woman to advance to a FIDE Women's World Cup Final (Image via X/@ChessbaseIndia) International Master (IM) Divya Deshmukh scripted history on Wednesday by storming into the final of the FIDE Women's World Chess Cup, defeating former world champion Zhongyi Tan of China. With this win, Divya also became the first Indian ever to qualify for the Women's Candidates tournament, which will decide the next challenger for world champion Wenjun Ju. Divya won the second game of the semi-final to seal the mini-match 1.5-0.5. It was another stunning performance from the 19-year-old, who has already knocked out second seed Zoner Jhu of China and compatriot Grandmaster D Harika in earlier rounds. Playing with white pieces against Tan, Divya opted for the Alapin variation in the Sicilian Defence and showed her sharp positional understanding. A well-timed exchange of bishops for knights led to a favourable endgame with an extra pawn. Although Tan had chances in the middle game, the former world champion lost her grip on the position. As the game progressed, Divya emerged with two extra pawns and an outside passed pawn. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like These Are The Most Beautiful Women In The World Undo However, the match saw several twists before she eventually clinched it after a 101-move battle. Poll What do you think was the key factor in Divya's semi-final victory? Strong positional understanding Mental resilience during the match Zhongyi Tan's mistakes In the other semi-final, Koneru Humpy played out a draw against top seed Tingjie Lei of China. Playing white against the Slav Defence, Humpy went for the exchange variation. The game saw early queen exchanges and Humpy managed to get a bishop pair against Lei's knights. Despite having an extra pawn in a rook and pawn endgame, the position remained balanced, and the game ended in a draw after 75 moves. Humpy will now face Lei in a tie-break to decide the second finalist. For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
