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Indian Express
6 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Divya Deshmukh vs Koneru Humpy: How the Indians stack up before FIDE Women's World Cup final
The FIDE Women's World Cup in Batumi, Georgia will see a battle of generations as 38-year-old Koneru Humpy takes on 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh in the two-game final starting from Saturday. It is an India vs India clash after both players defeated Chinese opponents in the semi-finals. Here's how Divya Deshmukh and Koneru Humpy stack up heading into the game. Humpy is the first Indian woman to become a grandmaster. Since then, just two women have followed suit. Divya could become the third at Batumi if she wins the title. Humpy's peak standard rating was 2623, which she achieved in July 2009. Her current rating is 2536. Divya's peak standard rating was 2501, achieved in October last year. Humpy is currently ranked no 5 in the world in the FIDE ratings list for women while Divya is world no 18 (which makes her the fourth ranked Indian on the list). In rapid, Humpy is no 10 in the world while Divya is no 22. In blitz, while the veteran is no 10 in the world among women, Divya is no 18. Humpy was once the youngest woman to achieve the grandmaster title, when she beat Judit Polgar's record by three months to reach there at the age of 15 years, one month and 27 days. Humpy has won the World Rapid Championship title twice, in 2014 and then again last year. Deshmukh was the world junior championship winner last year in the girls section. She was also the inspiration behind Indian women's team winning a gold medal at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest last year where she claimed an individual gold as well for her board. Overall games: 9 (5 with white) Humpy wins: 5 (3 with white) Divya wins: 2 (1 with white) Draws: 2 (one with each colour) In classical chess, Divya and Humpy have faced off just twice, as per FIDE records. Humpy won once, while playing with white pieces while the second game, with Divya having white, ended as a draw. In rapid contests, the duo have played two games where one game ended in a draw while Divya won the second one. Both games have been with Humpy playing white pieces. Divya and Humpy have played five blitz games against each other, where Humpy has four wins (twice each with white and black pieces) with the teenager winning the final clash.
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First Post
21-06-2025
- Sport
- First Post
Challenger to champion: How R Praggnanandhaa learnt to play for victory, not just experience
R Praggnanandhaa emerged as India's leading chess prodigy in 2023 but had a subdued 2024 as world champion D Gukesh took the spotlight. In 2025, however, he's back in form. In an exclusive chat, Praggnanandhaa explains the changes he made to achieve consistent success. read more Before D Gukesh became the youngest chess world champion in 2024, R Praggnanandhaa emerged as India's breakout star in 2023. The then-18-year-old held Magnus Carlsen to two draws in the classical games of the FIDE Chess World Cup . Although he eventually lost to the five-time world champion in the tie-breaks, Praggnanandhaa had already made a significant impact on the global chess stage. Then came 2024. Praggnanandhaa finally secured his first win over Carlsen, the highest-rated chess player of all time, at Norway Chess and also helped India win a historic gold at the 45th Chess Olympiad. But at an individual level, the big trophies were missing. He finished fifth at the Candidates as Gukesh won the tournament at 17 and then went on to beat Ding Liren in December to become the world champion at 18. At the World Rapid Championship, Praggnanandhaa was in joint lead till the penultimate round before a blunder against teenager and eventual winner Volodar Murzin brought everything crashing down for the Indian. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Pure ecstasy and brutal agony, all within the span of a few months. Praggnanandhaa stood at a crossroads. Talent wasn't the issue; the challenge was using it to cross the finish line. Something was off. Something had to change. But what, exactly? That's when Praggnanandhaa turned to his most trusted ally in the chess world: his coach, R Ramesh. 'I think Ramesh knows me the best regarding chess. I've been working with Ramesh for the last 11 years,' Praggnanandhaa told Firstpost. 'We had a camp towards the end of the year. We were discussing all these issues in my game. And then we tried to go into details and try to find what is causing those issues and tried to find a solution to it. 'And I think all this work is paying off. In this regard, I think credit should be given to him.' Mental adjustments make Praggnanandhaa a winner But what was the solution? It was something seemingly minor, yet profound enough to be a life lesson. Praggnanandhaa was already beating top players, including Carlsen, but deep down, even he wasn't entirely sure of what he was capable of. In that camp at the end of 2024, Praggnanandhaa realised the fault was not in his game, but in his thinking. You can't beat the best players in the world if you don't think of yourself as the best. Since then, he has been a different player, winning the prestigious Tata Steel Masters at the start of the 2025 by beating Gukesh in a tie-breaker , clinching the Grand Chess Tour Superbet Chess Classic Romania last month and currently leading the FIDE Circuit 2025 standings, which can earn him a spot in the 2026 Candidates. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I think it's mostly about mental changes, like being more confident in my abilities and trying to be more ambitious in games and not backing down against anyone,' Praggnanandhaa said while explaining what has changed in his game from 2024. 'You know, just fight, fight it out till the end. And as I said, I think once you believe in your abilities, you will fight in every game. Sometimes last year, especially in some tournaments, I was not feeling confident. So I think that was lacking. And once you regain that, you can be more ambitious. And I think now I'm more ambitious and fighting in every game.' A big support in his journey has also been his sponsors, who have made travel and training easy for the teenage chess star. 'Chess is expensive, especially when you travel to Europe for a tournament. You need to have trainers to help you during the tournaments. Apart from the tournament as well,' he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'It's difficult when you prepare for tournaments like the Candidates. This is where the Adani Group, coming in and supporting players, is essential. This happened just before the Candidates, so I could prepare my best. I am also able to train with the best facilities. That's showing in my result. I don't need to worry about anything, just focus on the game and keep improving.' With the key to winning decoded and sponsors onboard, Praggnanandhaa appears to be on the right path — grounded, yet ambitious. The teenager is well aware that Magnus Carlsen and elite players like Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana aren't going anywhere. And the competition is rising back home too, with the likes of D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi. Praggnanandhaa is pleased with the progress he has made, but he knows there's still a long way to go. 'Yeah, I wouldn't really say I've been progressing rapidly,' Praggnanandhaa said. 'There have been some hiccups in between, like last year just didn't go my way. This year has been good for me so far, and I hope to continue that way. If you compare just these six months, then it's been good. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'But if you like, take into account the last year, then I think it's just normal progress and considering our last few months, definitely happy with my games and I want to continue playing this way,' he signed off.
Time of India
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'Motherhood is a strength': How 'mere paas maa hai' legacy lives on in Indian sports
Koneru Humpy with her daughter, Ritu Phogat with her son NEW DELHI: In the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer movie "Deewar," there's a famous dialogue from the lead protagonist Vijay, who flaunts his wealth and asks his younger brother Ravi (Shashi Kapoor), a principled police officer: " Aaj mere paas building hai, property hai, bank balance hai, bangla hai, gaadi hai... tumhare paas kya hai? (Today I have buildings, property, a bank balance, a bungalow, a car... Operation Sindoor Armed forces maintaining strong vigil after Pak ceasefire breach: MEA Pakistan violates ceasefire: Loud explosions, sirens haunt J&K- what we know so far Behind the scenes of ceasefire: Calls from Pakistan, Washington what do you have?)" Ravi calmly replies, ' Mere paas maa hai. (I have my mother.)" Today is their day: Mother's Day. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! As India sees a new generation of athletes rise -- like Gukesh Dommaraju, R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi in chess, or Anahat Singh and Maaya Rajeshwaran in racquet sports -- mothers remain the constant support. Whether it's travelling with them or handling daily ifs and buts, it's often the mothers who stand silently behind their children's success, juggling different roles of caretaker, motivator, and manager. While these youngsters sweat it out on court or board, a mother's watchful eyes on the sidelines feel the heat. But have you ever paused to think: what's it like on that side of the spectrum? "I always feel motherhood is a strength," says Koneru Humpy during an exclusive chat with . "It's quite a challenging job: balancing my career and motherhood. I miss my daughter Ahana a lot, especially during long tournaments that last 15–20 days. Thankfully, she's very close to her grandparents and enjoys staying with them, so I'm fortunate she gets the love and attention she needs," she says. Humpy became a mother in 2017. After taking a break, she returned to competitive chess in 2018. "When I came back to chess, practice and preparation were there, but I had become a much tougher person. Raising a child meant sleepless nights. I learned I'm even capable of doing the work without having proper food," she recalls. 'Earlier, even small issues would affect my performance. But motherhood changed that. It made me mentally stronger.' She smiles, remembering her comeback: 'I still recall winning the 2019 World Rapid Championship, even though I hadn't played for nearly a year and a half.' Humpy, who is standing for the many mothers who carry ambition in one hand and love in the other, says. "It cannot make you sidestep your profession." Meanwhile, India's Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Ritu Phogat echoes Koneru's sentiments when it comes to balancing motherhood with a demanding athletic career, where support becomes paramount. "There are definitely challenges. They say when a woman becomes a mother, it's like she is reborn, and it's true. Getting your body back into athletic form is the toughest part. Every mother faces such challenges. I also faced them: nursing the baby, not getting enough sleep at night ... but when you have a supportive family and husband, it helps a lot," says MMA fighter Ritu Phogat Ritu, 31, gave birth to a baby boy in April 2024. Now eyeing a comeback ahead of MMA's debut at the 2026 Asian Games, Ritu accepts that motherhood is not all about toil as she penned on her son's first birthday: "It's been 365 days of love, laughter, and endless joy. Happy 1st birthday, my sweet prince! A year ago, you came into our lives and filled it with endless sunshine." READ ALSO: Indian farm girl who picked up gun at 13, now recovering Olympic heartbreak: The Maheshwari Chauhan story
