Divya Deshmukh's achievement adds a truly inspiring and glorious chapter to the history of Indian chess. From childhood, her talent and confidence made her special.
Entertainment: India's young chess sensation, Divya Deshmukh, has created a new history in the world of chess. At just 19 years old, Divya has not only won the FIDE Women's World Cup 2025 title but has also become India's fourth female Grandmaster (GM) and the 88th Indian Grandmaster overall. This achievement is one of the most shining accomplishments of the current golden era of Indian chess.
Entered the World of Chess at the Age of 7
A resident of Nagpur, Divya Deshmukh stepped onto the chessboard at the tender age of 7. Since then, she has achieved one historic milestone after another. In an interview at the age of 11, when asked if she was afraid of any player, Divya smiled and replied, "Maybe not." This confidence is her greatest strength.
Historic Victory at the FIDE Women's World Cup 2025
Divya defeated India's experienced Grandmaster Koneru Humpy in the final of this prestigious tournament. Both classical matches of the final ended in a draw, after which the decision was made in the tiebreaker. Divya drew the first rapid match with white pieces and then created history by winning the second match with black pieces.
Facing a veteran player like Humpy, Divya competed with patience and confidence, gaining an advantage with every move. With this victory, she has also qualified for the Candidates Tournament 2026, from where she has moved one step further towards becoming the world champion.
Calm Like Dhoni: Coach's Statement
Divya's former coach, Srinath Narayanan, said about her: Divya is an aggressive but balanced player. She is equally proficient in all three formats: Classical, Rapid, and Blitz. She plays with even more maturity in difficult situations. Her mental balance is like that of Mahendra Singh Dhoni — calm and decisive.
Divya Deshmukh's Career Graph
- 2012: Won Under-7 National Championship
- 2013: Became Under-8 Asian Champion
- 2014: Remained undefeated and became Under-10 World Champion
- 2020: Gold Medal in FIDE Online Olympiad
- 2022: Won Bronze Medal in the individual category at the Chess Olympiad
- 2023: Became International Master (IM)
- 2023: Won Asian Chess Championship
- 2023: Divya stood first in the Rapid section of Tata Steel Chess
- 2024: Won Sharjah Chess Challengers Tournament
- 2024: Became World Under-20 Chess Champion
- 2024: Helped the Indian team win Gold Medal at the 45th Chess Olympiad
- 2024: Won individual Gold Medal for her performance on Board-3 at the Chess Olympiad
- 2025: Silver in Rapid and Bronze in Blitz at the World Rapid & Blitz Team Championship
- 2025: Achieved the title of FIDE Women's World Cup winner and Grandmaster
Although Divya is not yet the Women's World Champion, she has qualified for the Candidates Tournament 2026 by winning the FIDE World Cup. The winner of this tournament will get a chance to challenge the current World Champion Ju Wenjun (China).
