Divya Deshmukh Gets Heroic Welcome In Nagpur After Historic World Cup Victory
Divya created history by becoming the first Indian winner of the FIDE Women’s World Cup, defeating Koneru Humpy 2.5-1.5. She also became India’s 88th Grandmaster.
It was truly a champion’s welcome in Nagpur on Wednesday night as the newly-crowned Grandmaster Divya Deshmukh returned home after her remarkable performance at the FIDE Women’s World Cup.
Divya made her mark in chess history by defeating fellow Indian and seasoned player Koneru Humpy with a score of 2.5-1.5 in the tiebreaker of the FIDE Women’s World Cup final, becoming the first-ever Indian to win the prestigious title on Monday.
Nagpur erupted in celebration as the young chess star landed back home on Wednesday, with processions and fanfare marking Divya’s incredible achievement.
Divya was given a grand reception in Nagpur, with her relatives and admirers reaching the airport well in advance to welcome her.
“My parents have been the biggest support in my journey. Without them, I wouldn’t have come this far. Full credit goes to my family — my parents, my sister, and my first coach, Rahul Joshi sir. He always dreamt of seeing me as a Grandmaster, and this is for him,” said Divya, remembering Joshi, who passed away in 2020 at the age of 40.
“My mother and father’s role has been most significant, but I must also mention my whole family — my sister Arya Deshmukh, my grandmother, grandfather… I don’t think words can do justice to what my parents have done for me,” she added.
Along with the prestigious trophy, Divya received $50,000 as prize money. But more importantly, with this victory, she earned the Grandmaster title — becoming India’s 88th GM in the history of the game.
She is now also a Grandmaster — only the fourth Indian woman to achieve the title, joining the ranks of her opponent Humpy, along with Dronavalli Harika and R Vaishali.
Generally, a player must earn three GM norms and reach a FIDE Classical rating of 2500 or more to get the GM title. However, winning certain elite tournaments, such as the FIDE Women’s World Cup, can also grant direct qualification.
An emotional Divya was in tears after her triumph, reflecting on the difficult path to her Grandmaster title.
“I need time to absorb this (win). I feel like it was destiny — getting the Grandmaster title this way, because before this tournament, I didn’t even have a single GM norm, and now I’ve become a Grandmaster,” she said post-match.
“It definitely means a great deal, but this is just the beginning. There’s still a lot left to achieve,” she added.
Speaking about her upcoming schedule, Divya said she would be taking a break before competing in the Grand Swiss, to be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from September 2 to 16.
“I’ll be resting this month and will play in the Grand Swiss next month,” she said.
With this victory, Divya also sealed her place in next year’s Candidates Tournament — which will determine the challenger to reigning Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun of China.
