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Divya Deshmukh stunned, says 'need time to process' Chess World Cup title: ‘It was fate, me becoming Grandmaster this wa
Divya Deshmukh stunned, says 'need time to process' Chess World Cup title: ‘It was fate, me becoming Grandmaster this wa

Hindustan Times

timea day ago

  • Entertainment
  • Hindustan Times

Divya Deshmukh stunned, says 'need time to process' Chess World Cup title: ‘It was fate, me becoming Grandmaster this wa

Divya Deshmukh defeated Koneru Humpy at the FIDE Women's Chess World Cup final on Monday, and the win also saw the 19-year-old become India's 88th Grandmaster. The final began with both classical games on Saturday and Sunday ending in draws. India's chess player Divya Deshmukh after winning the FIDE Women's World Cup 2025 title.(FIDE/Anna Shtourman) But it was Divya, who came out on top in the tie-breaker round, winning 1.5-0.5. The first Rapid game ended in a draw, and in the next, she sealed a sensational win with the Black pieces to take the title. 'I need time to process it': Divya Deshmukh Speaking after her win, an emotional Divya said, 'I 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 before this tournament, I was thinking 'Oh, where can I get my norm' and now I'm a Grandmaster.' Remaining humble and showing her competitive spirit, she said, 'I definitely need to learn endgames. I'm pretty sure at some point I messed it up. I'm not sure how. It should have been an easy win. I think I should not allow g4. But I think maybe I should just go rook a3, rook f3, rook g3, and that should be a win.' 'It definitely means a lot. But of course, there's uh there's a lot more to achieve. So this I'm hoping this is just a start,' she further added. It was a battle of nerves between the pair in what was also an all-Indian final. Divya put Humpy under pressure in the opening tie-breaker and then edged for the kill in the return match. The game shifted to Divya's side in the 40th move, and then Humpy also ran out of time and blundered in the endgame. Humpy also saw her time running out in the tie-breaker opener. After her win, Divya was immediately in tears, and got extremely emotional. She then went straight to her mother, and the pair hugged. Meanwhile, she continued crying as her mother calmed her down.

Divya Deshmukh, 19, crowned FIDE Women's World Cup winner
Divya Deshmukh, 19, crowned FIDE Women's World Cup winner

Hindustan Times

timea day ago

  • Entertainment
  • Hindustan Times

Divya Deshmukh, 19, crowned FIDE Women's World Cup winner

New Delhi: Divya Deshmukh claimed the FIDE Women's World Cup title on Monday by upstaging the seasoned Koneru Humpy in the second Rapid game of the tie-break at Batumi, Georgia. India's Divya Deshmukh during the Women's World Cup final against compatriot Koneru Humpy on Monday. (FIDE) The 19-year-old capped her remarkable run to the final of the tournament, winning with black pieces in the second rapid game after the first was drawn. The final had entered the tie-breaks territory after both their classical games were drawn. On Monday, after the first Rapid tie-break game was drawn, Divya cashed in on a late error by her 38-year-old compatriot -- Humpy is the reigning world Rapid champion – to be crowned victor. The mistake came in her 54th move and Humpy's young opponent did not let go of the opportunity. Divya, by virtue of the victory, becomes the fourth Indian player to achieve the Grandmaster title. Humpy, Harika Dronavalli and R Vaishali are the others. Both Divya and Humpy by reaching the final had already qualified for the Candidates tournament, whose winner will challenge the reigning women's world champion, China's Ju Wenjun. The Nagpur player's brilliant achievement adds to the accolades India's young chess brigade has been collecting, coming as it does after D Gukesh at 18 won the FIDE world championship in Singapore late last year. Shaking hands with Humpy, who is twice her age and has been India's biggest name in women's chess for a couple of decades, Divya turned emotional, shedding tears of joy as her family joined in the celebration. Divya had her hand on her mouth as she made her final move, and as Humpy shook hands in resignation and left, covered her face overwhelmed by the moment. She walked out to be embraced by her mother. 'I need time to process it,' said an emotional Divya, interviewed minutes after the win. 'It is fate me getting by GM title this way as I had only one norm.' 'It means a lot, but there is a lot more to achieve. It is just the start.' In 2023, she won the Asian continental women's title and despite coming in as a last-minute replacement and being the lowest seed, took the top position in the Tata Steel women's rapid section ahead of women's reigning world champion Ju Wenjun. In 2024, she won the world u-20 girls chess championship, staying unbeaten and taking sole first place with 10/11 points.

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 cries with tears of joy in her mother's arms after defeating Konery Humpy to win Women's Chess World Cup

Hindustan Times

timea day 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.

Vishy Anand drops verdict on Divya Deshmukh's FIDE Women's Chess World Cup win, consoles Koneru Humpy after thriller
Vishy Anand drops verdict on Divya Deshmukh's FIDE Women's Chess World Cup win, consoles Koneru Humpy after thriller

Hindustan Times

timea day ago

  • Entertainment
  • Hindustan Times

Vishy Anand drops verdict on Divya Deshmukh's FIDE Women's Chess World Cup win, consoles Koneru Humpy after thriller

It was an all-Indian final at the FIDE Women's Chess World Cup 2025, and Divya Deshmukh reigned supreme, defeating Koneru Humpy to clinch the title on Monday. The 19-year-old broke down emotionally after her win, and was in tears. She took some time to digest the moment and then got up from her chair to find her mother, who was nearby. Viswanathan Anand weighed in on Divya Deshmukh's win vs Koneru Humpy. They hugged, and there were tears of joy rolling down Divya's cheeks, as her mother tried to calm her down. Then, when she finally calmed down, she headed for her post-match interview and was once again unable to control her emotions, showing how important the win. The win saw her become India's 88th Grandmaster, something which she had been trying to bag for quite sometime. Viswanathan Anand lauds Divya Deshmukh Taking to X, Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand congratulated Divya for her win, and also had a special mention for Humpy. 'Congratulations to @Divyadeshmukh05 on winning the World Cup. Becoming GM and a spot in the candidates. Amazing battle of nerves. @humpy_koneru played a very good event and showed a commendable fighting spirit . The great champion she is! It was a great celebration of Indian chess, particularly Women's chess', he wrote. The final began with both classical games on Saturday and Sunday ending in draws. Then in the tie-breaks, Divya won 1.5-0.5. The first Rapid game ended in a draw, and in the next, Divya bagged a stunning win with the Black pieces to take the title. She had already booked a berth at the Candidates Tournament by qualifying for the finals. During her post-match interview, she said, '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.'

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