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Indian Express
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Do men and women play chess differently? GM Harika Dronavalli explains ‘bad day at work' for a mother
Harika Dronavalli didn't think that men and women approached a game of chess differently, until she knew that they did. 'I never grew up thinking or believed that chess is different for men and women players. Because I never had to struggle for support (from family, and later partner and in-laws). But now I know this sport is a harder thing for women compared to men,' says India's second Grandmaster among the active women players, ranked 14 amongst women. It's a punch to the gut frankly – like it was for her, though the realisation was gradual. A mental sport, played sitting, with equal access to preparation tools (engines), though not funds – why should it be different? Chess doesn't need muscular power / strength, you would think. Or does it? With her standard ELO rating of 2483, Harika is at a fairly elite level in chess' hierarchies. At 34, she is acquainted with broader contours and detailed crevices of the game, and plays in Open tournaments (women & men), whenever she can. A multiple Olympiad champion, the motivation is not in short supply, because the world title is a goal. She acknowledges the absolute support from family, even more post motherhood. But she insists there's a reason for why only one woman is ranked in the world's Top 150 (though Hou Yifan hardly plays these days, while womens world champ Ju Wenjun is 215). It doesn't matter if you don't like her reason. 'It is harder for women,' she repeats. 'They are definitely two different people playing. Women do get emotional and become softer. There are physical struggles like periods, PMS, pregnancy and hormones. To keep focus through that is a real challenge. There are small differences. In energy, in motivation. But there's a huge difference in playing open events and women's only matches,' she says. Playing at Pune 's Women's Grand Prix recently, Harika had a tournament that Gen Z would describe as 'mid'. She wasn't overtly upset with the results, and fairly upbeat about the season ahead. But the differences she's filed down over the years have given her clarity and acceptance – something she factors in when she plays open events. Chess theory is equal. Women, especially when young, can play radically risky games, aggressive attacks and might not be lacking in any self-confidence. 'Emotionally just the way women see things, positions of pieces on board can be softer. A high emotional quotient sees more turns in the head. Men play with practicality,' she says. Real life, on bad days, can be annoyingly cliche-conforming. Having struggled to convert a few positions at Pune event, Harika was forced into her 'win or learn' approach to an average showing. The year has been a tad stagnant, with hits and misses, though the Olympiad gold and a surge in interest in chess, has been interesting to follow, for Harika. She played top table and led India at the Olympiad, and she replays the success over and over again in her head when chips are down. 'Having won before I know there wasn't much recognition for women in India for years. It's just the passion to be on the podium. I didn't see gold as something extraordinary, but things have changed a bit more since Olympiad and Gukesh winning World's was one of the best days in Indian chess,' she says. 'Our gold – of course we cherish getting better and stronger. And then concentrate on next one.' (LEFT) Harika Dronavalli with her daughter; (RIGHT) Harika takes on Polina Shuvalova at the Pune Women's Grand Prix. (PHOTO: Harika X, Abhilash Shinde via FIDE). What's the motivation to continue at 34? 'Chess is the only thing I've known since childhood. It's my daily routine. It's not tough to be dedicated because I played 2022 Olympiad when heavily pregnant. Family is supportive,' she explains. Child birth added another challenge, though it has its upside that compensates for all the troubles. 'Mom guilt in chess is very real. The time spent away, I miss my daughter. Life changed when it became a daily question of choosing between chess and kid. You ask yourself 'is it worth it?' almost daily,' she says. Physical struggles post pregnancy couldn't be waved away and she could sense going softer on the board. It was bewildering to know for a fact that men had no such impediments. To the extent that she jokes that at times she felt she was living lives of two different people – like a plain Jane moonlighting as secret assassin. An intense cut-throat player on board and a completely opposite softie at home. She has a check list when she senses the tiniest of slackenings when playing – the 'womanly ones'. 'I make a conscious attempt to remind myself 'Why I started all this?' (Playing chess). And making the hard choices because you can't sit back and enjoy motherhood. You have to make space for tournaments.' Harika takes inspiration from countless working mothers from all strata of Indian society, whose daily struggles are not even acknowledged. 'Women in India live tougher lives juggling work and children, can't complain. But what I've realized is nothing is right or wrong about being a mother. Perfection doesn't exist. You could be still working or taken a break or left work – anyway you can't be called a bad mother, so never guilt yourself,' she says. Harika Dronavalli takes on Polina Shuvalova at the Pune Women's Grand Prix. (PHOTO: Abhilash Shinde via FIDE) As an athlete mother, in a mind game, some days can feel like wrecking balls. 'After motherhood the brain changes, it's wired different. The killer instinct really is off a bit. More hits and misses. But on the upside, you are more relaxed in your career – you know it's not just about sport. You are very important for this little person who doesn't care if you win or lose or play badly,' she says. Can that contentment blunt the ambition for a world title? 'No way. I'm not backing off from that dream,' she says. 'World Championship is the only thing remaining in my career. It just keeps taking time. Makes me more ambitious!' she laughs, adding she might have to go through a wringer and 'win emotionally'. But win it, she will.
Indian Express
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Divya Deshmukh, with edgy, exuberant attacking style, raises hope that India has next big thing in women's chess
While anything halfway cerebral in physical sport gets dubbed a move 'like chess', Divya Deshmukh, the actual chess ace, has been bringing Novak Djokovic's combative counterpunches to her chess boards. 'It's just the way Djokovic plays and wins,' Divya said last week, after pulling a third place medal at Pune 's Women's Grand Prix with a clutch of wins, even as the 19-year-old firebrand looks to score her GM norms in the coming months. Divya's is hardly a generation that sets a lot of store on sporting idols when chasing greatness herself. Asked two years back which chess player she looked up to, she nonchalantly said she was inspired by many like Vishy Anand, but she's never had a 'perfect role model' whose career she wanted to mimic. 'No one that makes me feel this is where I want to be,' she had said. So it's not so much about Djoker posters on walls and idly charging into GOAT debates in tennis' fan wars. She was intrigued by the sport enough to pick a racquet and start playing herself. 'I've just begun playing tennis recently,' she would say. The last one year has been a roller coaster, not unlike the tournament in Pune where she was stringing together wins against Nurgyul Salimova, R Vaishali, Melia Salome and Batkhuyag Munguntuul on good days, and being yanked back to the ground on others, like by the Chinese eventual second-placed Zhu Jiner. Calculated risks and catching opponents off guard has underpinned Divya's wins last season. Just to get a sense of what sort of 2024 she had, look at her rating gains of 70 rating points in the 12 months of 2024 — by contrast, Aravindh Chitambaram rose 64 points, Arjun grew by 63, and World Champion Gukesh added 52 to his tally. Even as Koneru Humpy persists with her attempts at the world champion's crown, there's more than just her fans who reckon she has the right attitude to one day fight for the elusive women's world title. The tournament organisation head GM Abhijit Kunte explained that leap of belief. 'She's easily our best bet for a world champion. She's already been a World junior champion, and won an Olympiad gold with India. She's ticking all the boxes and competing amongst the world elite. The way she's playing, it's a trajectory like Viswanathan Anand's. Within two years of winning the junior world crown, Anand was fighting the elite,' he says. Ask Divya about these lofty expectations, and she slays the thought with enough confidence and detachment. 'People will always have expectations. I care about mine,' she says. She hadn't been following the daily standings deliberately, she says, 'Pune tournament was a roller-coaster. I liked some of my attacking wins, especially against Munguntuul. But losses like the one to Zhu Jiner will haunt.' She's at an ELO rating of 2460 this month, having crossed 2500 briefly last November. But Divya remains a fiery IM, not unafraid to take down established GMs, even as she chases her norms in a season that has offered her a glimpse of how cutthroat elite chess can get. 'I didn't perform to the best of my ability and was up against a lot of strong players last year. Some very rocky matches,' Divya would say, though she's happy and comfortable with her edgy, exuberant attacking style. Even as the Chinese continue to dominate, she will most likely form the next generation of buccaneer piece-movers, with Russian Polina Shuvalova, who play risky, fighting chess and are tactically and positionally versatile. 'Attacking chess is just something inbuilt. Since my age-category days, I always go for gold. It's like permanent 'strike' mode,' she says. 'I play chess because I enjoy it. And that has the highest highs and lowest lows both,' she adds. Pune had been a happy hunting ground for Divya, for it is in this western Maharashtra city that the eastern Maharashtra ace (she's from Warna, near Nagpur) won her first nationals. Coach Rahul Joshi had helped the family navigate everything from which tournaments to play in, and what would be the best pathways, as well as juggling playing finances. For her mother, Dr Namrata Deshmukh, chess wasn't something her younger daughter just lightly waded into. A gynaec, Dr Namrata, gave up on her medical practice largely to focus on Divya's dreams on the chequered squares, even as the elder daughter played a spot of badminton. Divya's father played chess, but so did Dr Durgaprasad Sharma, Namrata's grandfather, whose Saturday routines of a chess game with social justice fighter Vinoba Bhave, formed the stuff of stories the whole family listened to. 'We are from a small town, Warna. And frankly we didn't even know chess had formal competitions initially,' the mother says. 'In the beginning as doctors it was unimaginable as parents that our daughter was not going to school, not studying just to play chess. She was always dedicated, but it's a huge risk. And after a point, she didn't want to come out of it (chess world),' she adds. Was it a sacrifice, giving up on a practice? 'Cant call it that, as if it's a burden. She was happy and interested in chess, so we had to support it. I saw it as my duty since she was performing well. But yes, I feel bad about ignoring the older one.' Chess has made Divya quieter and wiser beyond her years, though she still loves to sing and dance at home with exuberance, Dr Namrata says. 'The more she travels, the more she likes home food too. Anything chicken,' she says. Tennis — via Djokovic's sliding on clay — is Divya's new habit-in-the-making. R&B music of Weeknd, the singer known for his introspective lyrics, is an old fix. The world has its own thoughts on timelines that might see Divya fight one day for the world title. 'I have my own,' she says, knowing the steep ascent on this mountain is a jagged, terribly rocky face, teeming with some massive names. She's just trying to do a Djoker in chess — stomp through in the Federer-Nadal world.
New Indian Express
29-04-2025
- Sport
- New Indian Express
Challenging but still have the hunger to fight for world title: Humpy
CHENNAI: After winning the FIDE Women's Grand Prix in Pune last week, Grandmaster (GM) Koneru Humpy, 38, felt that her experience helped her claim the prize. Both Humpy and GM Jiner Zhu of China won their final rounds, scoring a total of 7 points out of nine rounds. The former defeated International Master (IM) Nurgyul Salimova of Bulgaria in the last round and won the 10-player single round-robin tournament due to a better tie-break score. Humpy gained 117.5 ranking points to move up to the second spot with 279.17. Humpy's latest success significantly boosts her chances of qualifying for the next Women's Candidates Tournament. The top two finishers with the most Grand Prix points at the end of the six-event series will feature in the marquee event. In an exclusive chat with The New Indian Express , she opened up about her ambitions of becoming a world champion, the difficulties in balancing motherhood and career and more. Excerpts... On her thoughts on winning the GP in Pune It was a wonderful feeling. Winning in front of the home crowd always makes it extra special. The crowd in Pune were very supportive. It was satisfying to see all the hard work paying off. On what got her through in the final I think consistency was the key. I managed to stay calm even during difficult situations and took one game at a time without thinking too far ahead. On the reason behind her good run in classical tournaments My experience helps in handling critical moments without panicking. On how she felt after winning the Women's World Rapid crown last year It was truly special. Winning a world title at any point of your career feels amazing, but balancing motherhood and career made it even sweeter. It was an emotional and proud moment for me. On her ambition of becoming a world champion in the classical format It's a challenging journey, especially with the younger generation coming up so strong, but I still have the hunger and motivation to fight for it. On R Vaishali and Divya Deshmukh's chances of touching 2600 They are both very talented and hardworking. Vaishali has shown great maturity in her recent tournaments and Divya has a fearless approach. They need to improve much further to reach 2600. It's a big challenge. On how she balances chess and motherhood It's definitely challenging. Time management becomes crucial, and you have to make a lot of adjustments both on and off the board. But at the same time, motherhood brings a different kind of joy and motivation. On whether her daughter, Ahana, is showing interest in Chess Right now, she is not very keen on playing chess. I want her to explore everything and find her own passion.
Indian Express
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
FIDE Women's Grand Prix Leaderboard: Humpy jumps to second after winning Pune leg; Goryachkina on top; Zhu Jiner third
India finest women's chess player, Koneru Humpy edged out China's Zhu Jiner to win the Pune leg of the FIDE Women's Grand Prix on Wednesday. After beating Nurgyul Salimova in the ninth (and final) round, Humpy finished on equal points — 7.0/11 — with Zhu but the Indian had the better tiebreaks between the two to clinch the trophy. She also racked up 117.5 crucial Grand Prix points, rising to the second spot behind Aleksandra Goryachkina with a total of 279.17 points after her three events. All players can play up to a maximum of three tournaments in this Women's Grand Prix cycle. In the Shymkent (Kazakhstan) leg, Humpy was tied for the fifth-sixth position and gained 55 GP rating points. In Monaco, she was in joint lead with Grand Prix leader Russia Aleksandra Goryachkina and Mongolia's Batkhuyag Munguntuul to earn 106.67 points. Goryachkina also completed her three rounds and sits comfortably with 308.34 points. After the 2025 Women's World Cup, the Grand Prix series is the most high-profile tournament in this cycle, with two Candidates spots at stake. The Pune event, which has an €80,000 (77 lakh) prize fund, is the fifth of six events in the 2024-2025 Women's Grand Prix cycle. Based on the event's final standings, players also earn Grand Prix points. The two with the most points at the end of the series get spots in the next Women's Candidates Tournament. Zhu (235 points from two events), Anna Muzychuk (189.17 points from two events) and Tan Zhongyi (170 points from two events) are still in the running for the top two spots, with Zhu being the frontrunner to even finish on top. She has played the Nicosia (Cyprus) and Pune leg and finished joint top in both events. All she need is a mid-table finish to confirm her second spot at Humpy's cost. FIDE Women's Grand Prix Leaderboard after Pune Leg Rank Player Tbilisi Shymkent Monaco Nicosia India Austria Total 1 Aleksandra Goryachkina — 130 106.67 71.67 — — 308.34 2 Koneru Humpy — 55 106.67 — 117.5 — 279.17 3 Zhu Jiner — — — 117.5 117.5 235 4 Bibisara Assaubayeva 105 77.5 15 — — — 197.5 5 Anna Muzychuk 71.67 — — 117.5 — 189.17 6 Divya Deshmukh — 55 — 40 85 — 180 7 Stavroula Tsolakidou 71.67 77.5 — 25 — — 174.17 8 Harika Dronavalli — — 35 71.67 65 — 171.67 9 Tan Zhongyi — 105 65 — — 170 10 Alina Kashlinskaya 130 — — — 20 — 150 11 Batkhuyag Munguntuul — 15 106.67 — 20 — 141.67 12-13 Nana Dzagnidze 71.67 — — 50 — 121.67 12-13 Mariya Muzychuk 50 — — 71.67 — 121.67 14 Kateryna Lagno — 40 65 — — — 105 15-16 Alexandra Kosteniuk 35 — 50 — — 85 15-16 Vaishali Rameshbabu 35 — — — 50 85 17 Nurgyul Salimova — 30 — — 40 70 18 Polina Shuvalova — — — — 65 — 65 19 Sarasadat Khademalsharieh 10 — 35 — — — 45 20 Elisabeth Pähtz — 15 15 10 — — 40 21 Olga Badelka — — — 25 — 25 22-23 Lela Javakhishvili 20 — — — — 20 22-23 Salome Melia — — — — 20 — 20 24 Lei Tingjie — — — — — — 25 Regina Pokorná — — — — — —
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Koneru Humpy pips China's Zhu Jiner for Grand Prix title
Humpy pips Zhu for GP title Pune: Very little separated top seed Koneru Humpy and China's Zhu Jiner , title contenders and co-leaders of the FIDE Women's Grand Prix on Wednesday. The positions in the last-round games after four hours of play, on two different boards, all agreed that there was nothing much in between. Both endgames (Humpy vs Nurgyul Salimova and Polina Shuvalova vs Zhu Jiner) saw rook, knight and pawns each, with both Humpy and Zhu enjoying extra and better-placed pawns. Though Zhu exchanged knights and Humpy rooks, both ended up on the winning side to tally seven points after nine rounds. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! So then? Humpy was declared champion according to tiebreak rules, since she played more games with black pieces – five to the Chinese's four. In addition, she had defeated Jhu in the seventh round and was also the only undefeated player in this GP, one of rather moderate standing with an average rating of 2454 Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like News For Jack Nicholson, 87, He Has Been Confirmed To Be... Reportingly Undo In terms of prize money and points, however, both were placed on level terms – earning 117.50 GP points and 15,500 euros each (appx Rs 15 lakh each). Humpy was tied first with two others in the third leg at Monaco GP and Zhu had shared first place with Anna Muzhychuk in the fourth leg in Cyprus. 'I could not sleep well the day before because of the mosquitos and the 8th round (vs Alina Kashlinskaya) was bad for me. I was lucky to escape with a draw,' Humpy said later, 'But overall, I believe that luck favours the better player. The 38-year-old revealed that winning the World Rapid title last year motivated her. After a belowpar show in classical chess last year, her form so far in the long form of the game this year has been heartening. Having missed playing the gold-winning women's Olympiad team for personal reasons last year, Humpy proved beyond doubt that she is still the best woman player from India. India's wild card Divya Deshmukh (Elo 2460) finished third with 5.5 points, despite her 13.5 points (50% score) in 27 GP games indicating moderate returns.
