Indian Prodigy Divya Deshmukh Wins FIDE Women’s World Cup

Batumi (Georgia), Jul 28 (PTI) – In a remarkable display of skill and determination, 19-year-old Indian chess prodigy Divya Deshmukh has secured the FIDE Women's World Cup title, triumphing over her compatriot and seasoned player Koneru Humpy in a tense tie-break showdown.

This victory not only bestows the prestigious title upon the young player but also earns her the coveted Grandmaster status, a feat that appeared unlikely at the onset of the tournament.

Divya becomes the fourth Indian woman to achieve Grandmaster distinction, joining an elite group and marking her the 88th globally.

The victory, achieved in a hard-fought contest, follows two drawn classical games played on Saturday and Sunday. During the tie-breaks conducted on Monday, Divya, holding the white pieces, was initially held to a draw. However, playing with black in the subsequent game, she deftly overcame the two-time world rapid champion with a final score of 2.5-1.5.

This triumph arrives amid a period of impressive performances in Indian men's chess, with players like world champion D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, and Arjun Erigaisi consistently delivering strong results.

Deshmukh now joins the ranks of Humpy, Dronavalli Harika, and R Vaishali as Indian women who have attained Grandmaster status.

Furthermore, by reaching the Women's World Cup final, Deshmukh has secured a place in next year's Candidates tournament, which will determine the challenger for the World Championship title currently held by Ju Wenjun of China.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Deshmukh expressed disbelief at her accomplishment against an opponent significantly older and more experienced, who demonstrated resilience until the very end. "I need time to process it," Divya confessed tearfully. "I think it was fate, me getting the Grandmaster title this way because before this tournament I didn't even have one GM norm, and now I am the Grandmaster."

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