‘This tournament has been the biggest test of resilience’: Divya Deshmukh after winning Chess World Cup

NEW DELHI: India’s newly crowned chess grandmaster, Divya Deshmukh, shared her views on the recently concluded FIDE Women’s Chess World Cup 2025, which took place in Georgia, saying that this tournament has been her most significant test of resilience.

Divya, a 19-year-old rising sensation in the world of chess, became the first Indian woman to clinch the Chess World Cup after overwhelming Koneru Humpy last Monday evening in the final via tiebreaks. She became just the fourth Indian woman grandmaster and overall the 88th in the nation to clinch that title.

Speaking to the media, Divya said, “This tournament has been the biggest test of resilience, and also it was such a big tournament, so it definitely tested my physical, mental, and emotional stamina and how to handle my nerves.”

#WATCH | Divya Deshmukh says, “…It is definitely very surprising and not at all expected because I didn’t have a norm going into the tournament and now I am a Grandmaster. So, quite a pleasant surprise, I would say. It has been years of sacrifice and hard work and also so much… https://t.co/6EM0GAe8KH pic.twitter.com/TaYCM7tI5O

— ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2025

Further speaking on the importance of family support during the tournaments, the player said, “Family support is more important. When your family supports you, you feel much more confident to go and give your best. I have been very lucky and blessed. My mom was taking care of me during the tournament, and she was there when I needed her.”

The youngster also expressed her thoughts after receiving a warm welcome from the fans upon her arrival in India. “It has been very overwhelming coming seeing so much love and support from the people. It has been quite an exhausting trip but I don’t think my heart could be any happier,” she added.

In the end, the 19-year-old said that she was very surprised with her performance in the tournament as she never thought that she would come so far in the competition. “Very surprising and didn’t expect. I didn’t have a norm going into the tournament and now I am a grandmaster. It has been years of sacrifice, hard luck and also so much luck in my career,” she concluded.

During the tense contest, a string of inaccuracies in the second rapid game contributed to Koneru’s downfall. She found herself a pawn down in the rook endgame, which played out in Divya’s favour. The veteran allowed the situation to sink in and resigned on the 75th move and fell short in a gripping final with a score of 2.5-1.5.

Divya failed to capitalise on the two windows that Koneru left open for her with her inaccurate moves. However, on the third time, Koneru inflicted more damage on herself by capturing the f pawn on move 69, which changed the tide in Divya’s favour towards the final moments of the contest. This time around, Divya made no mistake, played the right moves and forced Koneru to resign after six moves.

Her eyes welled up with tears as she began to grasp the scale of her victory. She tried to compose herself, but soon became overwhelmed with emotions again after embracing her mother in a heartfelt moment. (ANI)