Latest news with #HexamindChessClub
News18
24-07-2025
- Sport
- News18
Meet Divya Deshmukh, The Teenage WGM Making Waves On The Global Stage
Last Updated: Deshmukh added yet another accolade to her growing list of achievements as she moved into the final of the FIDE Women's World Cup in Georgia on Wednesday. Divya Deshmukh etched her name in the long annals of Indian chess history as she moved into the final of the FIDE Women's World Cup 2025 with her triumph over Zhongyi Tan in the semifinal, thus becoming the first teenager in over three decades to secure a place in the summit clash of the prestigious event. The 19-year-old from Nagpur also enjoyed a stunning run to the final as she eliminated second seed, Zhu Jiner of China, before defeating her experienced compatriot and India's No. 2, Harika Dronavalli, in the quarterfinals. Born into a Marathi family, the daughter of doctors Jitendra and Namratha Deshmukh, Divya, attended Bhavans Bhagwandas Purohit Vidya Mandir and took to the chequered board early. Her father taught her the basics of the game when the youngester was all of five years old, and she took it to like a swan to water as she went on to clinch her first national title at the tender age of seven. Her rise, there on out, has been nothing short of phenomenal. Deshmukh's current ELO rating reads 2463, while her peak rating of 2501 dating back to October of last year, serving as a fair indicator of the incredible talent the teenager possesses. Divya became India's 21st Woman Grandmaster in the year 2021 and won the 2022 Women's Indian Chess Championship. She earned an individual bronze medal at the 2022 Chess Olympiad and played a crucial role in India's gold medal victory at the 2020 FIDE Online Olympiad. As of December 2024, she is ranked No. 2 among Indian women chess players. Divya clinched the Asian Women's Chess Championship in Almaty in 2023 and won the women's rapid section of the Tata Steel India Chess Tournament, defeating top players such as Harika Dronavalli and Koneru Humpy. She triumphed at the Sharjah Challengers in 2024, followed by a historic win at the FIDE World U20 Girls Championship in June, becoming only the fourth Indian to achieve this title. She finished with an impressive score of 10/11 after a decisive final-round victory. At the 2025 World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships in London, Divya played a key role for Hexamind Chess Club, securing silver in the rapid team event and bronze in the blitz team event. A standout moment came in the blitz semifinal, where she defeated world No. 1 Hou Yifan in an exciting 74-move game. view comments 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.
News18
23-07-2025
- Sport
- News18
Divya Deshmukh Creates History! Becomes First Indian To Qualify For FIDE Women's World Cup Final
Divya Deshmukh becomes the first Indian to qualify for the final of the FIDE Women's World Cup, defeating 2017 Women's World Champion Zhongyi Tan 1.5-0.5 in the semifinal. Divya Deshmukh's astronomical rise in the world of Chess continues onwards, as the youngster has now become the first Indian ever to qualify for the final of the FIDE Women's World Cup on Wednesday. Divya, who held the white pieces today, had an impressive display to oust Zhongyi Tan, the 2017 Women's World Champion, and edge her out 1.5-0.5 in the semifinal. Earlier yesterday, Divya held her ground impressively against Tan. The game followed the Queen's Gambit Declined, with Divya steering the position into calm waters through timely exchanges and securing a hard-fought draw. With a spot in the final on the line, Divya kicked into overdrive, while Tan blundered badly in the endgame, gifting Divya the place in the final, along with a spot in the next FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament as well. In the other semifinal, Divya's Indian compatriot Koneru Humpy couldn't get the job done on the day, claiming yet another draw against Chinese GM Tingjie Lei, leading to a 1-1 tie. Humpy held a massive advantage early in the endgame, before throwing the advantage away as the two players settled for a draw. In 2021, Divya became India's 21st Woman Grandmaster and won the 2022 Women's Indian Chess Championship. She secured an individual bronze medal at the 2022 Chess Olympiad and was instrumental in India's gold medal win at the 2020 FIDE Online Olympiad. As of December 2024, she is ranked No. 2 among Indian women chess players. In 2023, Divya won the Asian Women's Chess Championship in Almaty and emerged victorious in the women's rapid section of the Tata Steel India Chess Tournament, defeating top players such as Harika Dronavalli and Koneru Humpy. In May 2024, she triumphed at the Sharjah Challengers, followed by a historic win at the FIDE World U20 Girls Championship in June, becoming only the fourth Indian to achieve this title. She finished with an impressive score of 10/11 after a decisive final-round win. At the 2025 World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships in London, Divya played a key role for Hexamind Chess Club, securing silver in the rapid team event and bronze in the blitz team event. A standout moment came in the blitz semifinal, where she defeated world No. 1 Hou Yifan in a thrilling 74-move game. view comments 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
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Modi, Gadkari & CM Laud Nagpur Chess Queen Divya For Historic Win Over World Women's No.1
1 2 Nagpur: Two days after the TOI exclusively highlighted Divya Deshmukh's heroics in the World Blitz and Rapid Team Championships, where Nagpur's golden girl stunned the world's best women chess player, China's Hou Yifan, in London, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lauded the 19-year-old's historic victory. While minister of state for sports Raksha Khadse, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Nagpur MP Nitin Gadkari took inputs from the TOI report to congratulate Divya first on Wednesday, Modi and others lauded India's chess sensation's efforts on Thursday. On Monday, Nagpur's world junior no.1 and International Master (IM) Divya registered a hard-fought 74-move win over world women's No.1 Yifan in the second leg of the semifinal round in the blitz team chess championship. Overall, Divya brought home a total of three medals representing Hexamind Chess Club in both the blitz and rapid events. In an exclusive story on Tuesday, the TOI reported the face-off between the best women chess player and her junior counterpart — China's Yifan vs India's Divya. The face-off between Yifan and Divya in the shortest format of chess had similarities to the classical game played between Magnus Carlsen and D Gukesh, where the recent 'Oh My God' moment happened when the world No.1 suffered his first defeat to the youngest world champion. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like เริ่มแล้ว! ตลาด USDJPY อยู่ในช่วงขาขึ้นกว่าเดิม IC Markets สมัคร Undo When Divya recorded her first win over Yifan, the Nagpur girl got a bit emotional but controlled her emotions and went to prepare for the bronze medal match. Congratulating Divya on X, Modi said, "Divya's success highlights her grit and determination. It also inspires many upcoming chess players. Best wishes for her future endeavours." Modi's congratulatory message on Thursday made the media line up for a bite from Divya at her Shankar Nagar residence. Replying to Modi's message, Divya said, "PM Modi sir has written very nice things which are very encouraging and motivating, so it makes me feel very good and gives me a lot of inspiration to win medals for India in the future." Fadnavis wrote, "What an extraordinary moment as Divya defeats world No.1 Hou Yifan in London. Her fearless moves, sharp focus, and unshakable determination have not only secured a historic victory but also made every Indian — and every Maharashtrian — proud. This isn't just a win on the board, it's a statement to the world that young talent from India is ready to conquer global arenas. Wishing Divya many more glorious victories ahead. Indian chess has found a new queen, and she hails from Nagpur!" Following Modi's congratulatory message, the country's who's who have started lauding Divya.
Time of India
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Advice, practice games with Levon, Anish, Murzin came handy for Divya
1 2 Nagpur: Divya Deshmukh's 74-move win over World Women's No. 1 Hou Yifan has once again brought the Nagpur girl into the limelight. During the seven-day World Rapid and Blitz Team Championship in London, the 19-year-old International Master (IM), representing Hexamind Chess Club, secured as many as three medals — two bronze and a silver. Speaking exclusively to TOI, Divya shared her experience of playing alongside the world's best players, including Levon Aronian, Murzin Volodar, Anish Giri, and Vidit Gujrathi. Divya said, "The best moments were definitely the blitz knockouts and also the entire team spirit. Everyone was really friendly, and everyone got along really well, so it took away the pressure to perform. Levon, Anish, and Murzin helped me with advice, practice games etc, which was super nice of them. And, of course, the banter." Despite suffering a defeat against Yifan in the first leg of the round-robin semifinal, Divya remained positive and came back stronger to prevail over her experienced opponent. In the second leg of the semifinal, Divya utilised her opening advantage with the white pieces well and made her moves faster to take control of the clock for her first-ever victory over Yifan. Explaining her strategy for getting the better of Yifan, Divya said, "I knew I had to go all out. I would have been automatically scared if the thought of playing against the World Champion had crept into my mind. So, it did not matter whom I was playing against; I focused on the game, and I only knew that I had to win the game." On her future plans, Divya said that she is preparing for the forthcoming World Cup. She added, "I am focused, and my preparations are going well. I will give my best and will try to bring medals in future tournaments."
News18
19-06-2025
- Politics
- News18
World Team Blitz Championships: PM Modi Praises Divya Deshmukh After India Star Beats World No. 1 Hou Yifan
Last Updated: PM Modi praised Divya Deshmukh for her win over World No. 1 Hou Yifan at the World Team Blitz Championships in London. Divya led her team to bronze. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday praised India's chess prodigy Divya Deshmukh for her remarkable first-ever victory over World No. 1 Hou Yifan in the second leg of the blitz semifinal at the World Team Blitz Championships in London. Representing Hexamind Chess Club, the 18-year-old Indian talent faced off against the Chinese powerhouse, who was playing for the WR Chess Team. In an electrifying 74-move encounter, Divya outsmarted Yifan, who made a crucial error by losing her bishop in a theoretically drawn rook vs. bishop endgame. 'Congratulations to Divya Deshmukh on defeating the World No. 1, Hou Yifan in the 2nd leg of Blitz semifinal at the World Team Blitz Championships, London. Her success highlights her grit and determination. It also inspires many upcoming chess players. Best wishes for her future endeavours," PM Modi wrote on X. Congratulations to Divya Deshmukh on defeating the World No. 1, Hou Yifan in the 2nd leg of Blitz semifinal at the World Team Blitz Championships, London. Her success highlights her grit and determination. It also inspires many upcoming chess players. Best wishes for her future… — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 19, 2025 In the blitz format, Divya secured six wins, one draw, and only one loss out of eight games, achieving an impressive performance rating of 2606. She subsequently excelled in the third-place playoff, leading her team to a 3.5–2.5 victory over Uzbekistan in both rounds to clinch the team bronze medal. Checkmate ♟️ !Heartiest congratulations to our chess star Divya Deshmukh on her stunning win over World No. 1 Hou Yifan in the 2nd leg of the Blitz semifinal at the World Team Blitz Championships in London. Wishing you the very best for the future games. — Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) June 18, 2025 In the rapid format, Divya achieved five wins, six draws, and just one loss, securing team silver and an individual bronze on Board 6, with a performance rating of 2420. The third edition of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships took place in London from June 10 to 16. The total prize fund was 500,000 euros; 310,000 euros for the rapid tournament and 190,000 euros for the blitz. First Published: June 19, 2025, 15:40 IST
