Divya Deshmukh Reaches the Pinnacle of Chess

On July 28, in the final of the FIDE Women's World Cup 2025, Divya Deshmukh defeated Koneru Humpy to claim the title. With this victory, Divya became the first Indian woman to win the prestigious Chess World Cup. She also became India’s 88th Grandmaster and the fourth female Grandmaster from India.

Before Divya, Koneru Humpy, Dronavalli Harika, and R Vaishali had achieved the title of Grandmaster. India's first-ever Chess Grandmaster, Vishwanathan Anand, earned the title in 1988. Since then, India has produced 88 Grandmasters. The first Indian female Grandmaster was Koneru Humpy, who won the title in 2002 at the age of 15.