Quick Info
| Profession | Chess player |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian |
| Date of Birth | 09/12/2005 |
| Age | 20 years |
| Birthplace | Nagpur, Maharashtra |
| Hometown | Nagpur, Maharashtra |
Latest News about Divya Deshmukh
07/04/2026
Divya Deshmukh secured a superb victory against Anna Muzychuk in Round 8 of the FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament 2026 held in Pegeia, Cyprus. Playing with black pieces, Deshmukh capitalized on a late blunder from Muzychuk in the endgame to claim the win, joining four other players as joint leader with 4.5 points after eight rounds, with six rounds remaining in the tournament.
2025
Divya Deshmukh won the FIDE Women's World Cup 2025 in Baku, defeating veteran Koneru Humpy 1.5-0.5 in the rapid tie-breaks final. This historic victory made her the first Indian woman to win the World Cup title and automatically conferred upon her the Grandmaster title, making her India's 88th Grandmaster overall and the fourth Indian woman to achieve this distinction. She also qualified for the Women's Candidates Tournament 2026 through this win.
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Physical Stats & More
| Eye Color | Black |
|---|---|
| Hair Color | Black |
Educational Qualification(s)
| School | Bhavans Bhagwandas Purohit Vidya Mandir, Nagpur |
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Personal Life
| Hobbies | Painting, Archery, Flower Breeding |
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Family
| Father | Dr. Jitendra Deshmukh (gynaecologist) |
|---|---|
| Mother | Dr. Namrata Deshmukh (gynaecologist) |
| Siblings | Arya Deshmukh (studying law) |
Career
| FIDE rating | 2301 (February 2022) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title | Grandmaster (GM) (2025) | ||||||
| Medals |
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| Known for | Winning the FIDE Women's World Cup 2025 and becoming the first Indian woman to win the title; India's 88th Grandmaster and fourth Indian woman Grandmaster | ||||||
| Major Achievements |
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Favourites
| Idol | Viswanathan Anand |
|---|
Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. Divya Deshmukh, hailing from Maharashtra, became the senior national women’s chess champion in March 2022. | |
| 2. She received coaching from Rahul Joshi since the age of six, switching from badminton to chess due to her short height at four years old. | |
| 3. Her interest in chess was sparked by her father's hobby, and she clinched her first prize at the young age of five. | |
| 4. In 2021, she became India's 21st Woman Grand Master (WGM) by achieving her 2nd International Master (IM) title in Budapest, Hungary. | |
| 5. In March 2022, Divya made history by becoming Nagpur's first senior national women’s chess champion, being the first teenager to achieve this since 2003. | |
| 6. For winning the MPL 47th National Women’s Championship in Bhubaneshwar, she received a cash prize of Rs. 50,000 from the Maharashtra Chess Association in March 2022. | |
| 7. Her coach RB Ramesh praised her talent, hard work, and humility, emphasizing her steady progress and increasing rating. | |
| 8. Identifying Viswanathan Anand as her idol, Divya also shares her love for dogs on social media through postings. | |
| 9. At the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in 2024, held in the Netherlands, she faced sexist behavior from the audience, sharing her experience on Instagram where her appearance was discussed more than her game performance. | |
| 10. She defeated world number 1 Hou Yifan at the World Blitz Team Chess Championship in London, earning congratulations from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. | |
| 11. In the 2025 Women's World Cup final, she defeated veteran Koneru Humpy 1.5-0.5 in rapid tie-breaks in Baku to become the first Indian woman World Cup champion. |