Chess Grandmaster: In a memorable turn at the FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025 in Batumi, Georgia, 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh scripted history by defeating veteran Grandmaster Koneru Humpy in a tense rapid tie‑break. Divya Deshmukh’s victory not only earned her the coveted World Cup title but also conferred upon her the Grandmaster (GM) title, making her India’s 88th Grandmaster and only the fourth Indian woman to reach this milestone.
Early Years & Family Roots
Her father, an avid amateur player, introduced her to chess fundamentals. Her mother eventually paused her medical practice to support Divya’s chess journey, often accompanying her to tournaments and training camps
Born on December 9, 2005 in Nagpur, Maharashtra into a Marathi family. Her parents, Dr. Jitendra Deshmukh and Dr. Namratha Deshmukh, are both medical professionals.
Chess found her unexpectedly at age five when, while accompanying her older sister to badminton, she stumbled into a chess class in the same building. Though initially reluctant, she soon developed a passion that would shape her destiny.
Education & Discipline
- Divya studied at Bhavans Bhagwandas Purohit Vidya Mandir, a CBSE school in Nagpur, maintaining strong academic performance alongside her chess pursuits.
- After Class 12, she opted for distance learning, allowing her to focus on chess while also pursuing courses in sports psychology, performance science, and data analytics to enrich her strategic understanding.
Career Milestones
- Divya’s ascent has been rapid and remarkable:
- Became the youngest Woman FIDE Master (WFM) in India in 2013 and secured multiple national youth titles.
- In 2020, she contributed to India’s gold in the FIDE Online Chess Olympiad; in 2022, earned a bronze medal at the Chess Olympiad and clinched the Women’s Indian Chess Championship.
- In 2021, at age 15, she became India’s 21st Woman Grandmaster (WGM) and later earned the International Master (IM) title in 2023.
- Her streak continued with the Asian Women’s Championship win in Almaty (2023), a dramatic victory in the Tata Steel India Women’s Rapid, and a commanding performance in the World U‑20 Girls Championship (2024) where she scored 10/11 .
- At the 2025 World Rapid & Blitz Team Championship in London, Divya defeated reigning women’s world No. 1 Hou Yifan in a 74‑move blitz game, helping her team secure medals and drawing praise from national leaders like PM Modi .
Divya Deshmukh’s journey reflects not only a chessboard mastery but the steady building of character, discipline, and vision. At just 19, she has become a global chess champion, a Grandmaster, and a symbol of India’s future in the sport.
