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Business Standard
8 minutes ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Maharashtra cabinet honours Divya Deshmukh for world chess title win
In a statement on Monday, Fadnavis said Divya Deshmukh has inscribed the state's name in golden letters on the international chess board Press Trust of India Mumbai The Maharashtra cabinet has passed a resolution congratulating Divya Deshmukh on being the youngest chess player to win the Women's Chess World Cup. The resolution was moved on Tuesday in the cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and comprising Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar and other ministers. Divya Deshmukh, the 19-year-old player from Nagpur, became the youngest to win the Women's World Cup on Monday as she outwitted the seasoned Koneru Humpy in the tie-breaker of an all-Indian final in Batumi, Georgia. CM Fadnavis on Monday announced the Maharashtra government will felicitate the newly crowned Grandmaster on her stellar achievement. "It is a moment of great joy that Nagpur and Maharashtra girl Divya Deshmukh has won the Women's World Cup and earned the Grandmaster title as well. She is the youngest chess player to win the prestigious international title," he said. In a statement on Monday, Fadnavis said Divya Deshmukh has inscribed the state's name in golden letters on the international chess board. It was a matter of immense pride that both players in the World Cup final were Indians, he added, while also congratulating Humpy. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


Time of India
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
'Young Indian girls need to get more training'
**EDS: THIRD PARTY IMAGE** In this image released by FIDE, India's chess players Divya Deshmukh, left, and Koneru Humpy during the FIDE Women's World Cup 2025 final match tiebreaks, in Batumi, Georgia. (FIDE/Andrei Anosov via PTI Photo)(PTI07_28_2025_000347B) Nagpur: Twenty-three years after Koneru Humpy achieved the Grandmaster title, becoming one of the youngest — and first Indian — women GMs in 2002, the 38-year-old has been carrying the Indian flag for over two decades. At the Women's Chess World Cup, Humpy secured a silver medal and also confirmed her second successive entry to the 2026 Candidates chess tournament. Though she went down fighting to Divya in a thrilling title clash, the two-time World rapid champion is satisfied with her performance. 'I didn't expect to do well in this knockout tournament considering my age, as the format needs a lot of energy. I am happy that I was able to beat strong players,' Humpy told TOI. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Revealing her trainer's (seconds in chess) name, Humpy said, 'I was able to do well thanks to my second, IM Kushager Krishnater, who has worked hard with sleepless nights.' There are only four women among the 88 Indian GMs. By winning the World Cup, Divya chose the shortest route to become a GM. With 19-yearold Divya joining the elite club of Humpy, D Harika, and R Vaishali, young players will get motivated to pick up the sport. Poll Do you think Koneru Humpy will continue to perform well in future tournaments? Yes, she has proven her skills. No, it's time for new players to shine. Divya's achievement means a lot to Indian women's chess, which had been looking for a worthy successor to Humpy, who is not done yet. Now India has two Candidates, one of whom will look to become the challenger to the world champion in 2026. Humpy said, 'We have a bunch of new generation players, and it's a positive sign that we are growing in the right direction. I think we need to give more training to the young girls to improve further.' Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!


United News of India
a day ago
- Sport
- United News of India
PM Modi congratulates Divya Deshmukh on historic chess victory
New Delhi, July 29 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Indian chess prodigy Divya Deshmukh for her remarkable triumph at the 2025 FIDE Women's World Cup, where she not only clinched the prestigious title but also earned the title of Grandmaster. In a message shared on X, the Prime Minister wrote, 'It's been a phenomenal day for Indian Chess! Divya Deshmukh has not only won the 2025 FIDE Women's World Cup but also become a Grandmaster. Congratulations to her. Her accomplishment will motivate many people and contribute to chess becoming even more popular among the youth.' The 19-year-old Deshmukh defeated seasoned Koneru Humpy in a tense final held in Batumi, Georgia yesterday. With this win, she became the first Indian woman to win the FIDE women's world cup and only the fourth Indian player to attain the Grandmaster title. UNI VAN PRS


NDTV
a day ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Sachin Tendulkar Hails Divya Deshmukh On Winning India's First FIDE Women's Chess World Cup
Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday congratulated Divya Deshmukh on becoming India's first FIDE Women's World Cup champion in Batumi, Georgia. The 19-year-old Divya stunned the chess world by winning the FIDE Women's World Cup 2025, becoming the first Indian woman to claim the prestigious title. In the all-Indian final, Divya defeated legendary compatriot Koneru Humpy 1.5–0.5 in the rapid tie-breaks on Monday to script a fairytale ending. Taking to X, Tendulkar wrote, "An all-Indian final. A historic win. Congrats Divya Deshmukh, India's first Women's World Cup Champion and newest Grandmaster. Full credit to Koneru Humpy for a thrilling contest yesterday!" The classical games played over the weekend had ended in tense draws, with both players showcasing resilience and elite-level play. In Saturday's opening game, Divya, playing with the white pieces, built a commanding position but let Humpy equalise late. The second game on Sunday was more balanced, though Divya admitted she 'wandered into trouble for no apparent reason' before holding on. But the tie-breaks were where the young sensation flipped the script. After the first rapid game ended in a draw, the second saw Humpy crack under time pressure, making critical blunders that Divya pounced on. With nerves of steel, Divya closed out the win to become the 2025 Women's World Cup champion, the fourth Indian woman to earn the Grandmaster title, and the country's 88th Grandmaster (GM) overall. Divya's sensational title triumph in the World Cup is proof that the country is a dominant force in chess and currently rules the world, with Dommaraju Gukesh crowned last year as the FIDE World Champion after beating Ding Liren of China in the final in Singapore.


Hans India
a day ago
- Sport
- Hans India
I'm hoping this is just the start: Divya Deshmukh
Batumi (Georgia): DivyaDeshmukh came to the star-studded FIDE Women's World Cup 2025 here as an underdog, hoping to at least win one Grandmaster norm in her journey to become a GM in the future. Little did the 19-year-old from Nagpur know that she would beat some of the best and biggest names in the sport to achieve three major milestones in a span of around three weeks -- secure a spot in the Candidates tournament next year, win the prestigious title and in the process, automatically become a Grandmaster. While becoming a GM is one of the toughest things in chess as a player needs to earn three GM norms in FIDE-approved tournaments events and cross the 2500 rating, things fell in place for the talented Nagpur player. FIDE has a rule that the winners of certain elite competitions can avoid the usual norm-and-rating route and become GMs directly. The Women's World Cup is one of those FIDE events where the winner straightaway becomes a GM if not already. 'I need time to process it (victory). It think it was fate me getting the Grandmaster title this way because I didn't even have one norm (coming into the event) and all I was thinking of was 'Oh, when can I get my norm', and now I'm a Grandmaster so...,' said Deshmukh, who beat compatriot Koneru Humpy to emerge winner. The youngster had her mother, a doctor, by her side in her moment of glory. She got emotional soon after beating Humpy, a two-time World Rapid champion and embraced her mother in a heartfelt hug, sobbing all along. 'It's hard for me to speak right now. It definitely means a lot, but of course there's a lot more to achieve,' said Deshmukh. 'I'm hoping this is just the start.' The achievement made Deshmukh only the fourth Indian woman to become a GM after Humpy, Dronavalli Harika and R. Vaishali.