Divya Deshmukh Becomes India's Fourth Woman to Achieve Grandmaster Title

Divya Deshmukh, just 19 years old, has created history by becoming India's fourth woman to achieve the grandmaster title after defeating Koneru Humpy in the FIDE Women's World Cup final via tiebreaks. This achievement is significant, especially considering that before the event, Divya did not have any of the three norms required to become a grandmaster. This victory not only makes her eligible for the grandmaster title but also highlights her rapid progress in the chess world. Divya's win was met with emotional scenes in the playing hall as she teared up upon finding her mother after the final.

Key Takeaways:

• Divya Deshmukh, aged 19, became India's fourth woman to achieve the grandmaster title after defeating Koneru Humpy in the FIDE Women's World Cup final via tiebreaks.
• Before the event, Divya did not have any of the three norms required to become a grandmaster, making her win even more significant.
• Divya's victory was her second major achievement in the past 13 months, having been crowned the world junior champion in the girls section last year.
• Divya Deshmukh is the fourth Indian woman to achieve the grandmaster title after Humpy, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, and Harika Dronavalli.
• Koneru Humpy, the veteran Indian chess player, is India's first woman to become a grandmaster and has been a dominant force in women's chess for many years.
• The final was a battle of generations between Divya and Humpy, with the 19-year-old Divya being half the age of the veteran Humpy.
• Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand praised Divya's win, saying, "Dramatic! Humpy just collapsed. It was totally self-inflicted."

Statistics:

• Divya Deshmukh's age at the time of winning the grandmaster title: 19 years old.
• Number of months since Divya was crowned the world junior champion: 13 months.
• Rank of Divya Deshmukh in the FIDE ratings list for women: world no 18.
• Rank of Koneru Humpy in the FIDE ratings list for women: world no 5.
• Years of Koneru Humpy becoming the youngest woman to achieve the grandmaster title: at the age of 15 years, one month and 27 days.
• Records broken by Divya Deshmukh's achievement:

+ Becoming India's fourth woman to achieve the grandmaster title.

+ Earning the grandmaster norm in just 13 months since being crowned the world junior champion.

Sources:

• IE Online Media Services Pvt. Ltd., distributed by Contify.com
• FIDE (World Chess Federation)
• Chess Olympiad 2024