Nagpur (Maharashtra) [India], June 19: Indian chess prodigy Divya Deshmukh, just 19 years old, achieved a stunning victory at the World Blitz Team Chess Championship, defeating none other than Chinese Grandmaster and World No. 1 Hou Yifan. The win marks a significant milestone in Divya’s blossoming international chess career.
Speaking to ANI after the match, Divya expressed her joy and gratitude. “I am very happy,” she said, adding that words of encouragement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inspired her. “PM Modi has written very nice things which are very encouraging and motivating. It makes me feel very good and gives me a lot of inspiration to win medals for India in the future,” she added.
She also credited her teammates for their constant motivation throughout the tournament. “My teammates were very encouraging and quite motivating, and it really helped me,” Divya noted.
India’s presence in the global chess arena continues to rise. D. Gukesh, the reigning World Champion and Khel Ratna Awardee, recently secured third place in the Norway Chess Tournament, defeating World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen for the first time in a classical format. Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi also impressed with a fifth-place finish in the same event.
Additionally, Aravindh Chithambaram won the Stepan Avagyan Memorial Chess Tournament, while R Praggnanandhaa finished second in the tournament held from May 28 to June 6.
Divya’s landmark victory adds to India’s growing dominance in international chess and sets the stage for more achievements by the country’s new generation of players.