At the age of 19, Divya Deshmukh knocked out the experienced Koneru Humpy in the tiebreaks at the FIDE Women’s World Cup in Batumi, Georgia, to win the championship title. This is a historic win, and Divya is entitled to be hailed as India’s fourth woman grandmaster.
The grand final was a generational symbolic showdown—teenage Divya taking on Humpy, who had been the first woman from India to become a grandmaster. Only two other Indian women had attained the same level as Humpy’s benchmark—until this day.
The game was closely fought. Both the classical games were drawn, with Divya having good chances in the first one playing White. Although she had an upper hand, a slip at the end of the game helped Humpy off with a draw. The battle finally shifted to rapid tiebreaks on Monday.
Divya, relatively being an inexperienced player against Humpy’s enormous experience and the speed format, pulled off a sensational win. She took advantage in the second, outclassing the experienced grandmaster to clinch the title.
On FIDE’s official broadcast, Divya stated, “It definitely means a lot. There’s a lot more to achieve. I’m hoping this is just the start.”
Her victory is not only a personal achievement but also a big success for Indian chess. She was the World Junior Girls’ Champion last year. During her toughest time, she helped India win a historic gold in the women’s team section at last year’s Chess Olympiad in Budapest and also secured an individual gold medal on board.
However, Divya made a golden path for herself by creating a new chapter in Indian chess and moving ahead of the heroes such as Humpy.
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