“At just 19, Divya Deshmukh is knocking the door of chess greatness- one grandmaster norm at a time”
Nineteen-year-old Divya Deshmukh of India made history at the FIDE women’s world cup 2025 by defeating Tan Zhongyi in their semifinal match. Drawing the first game with the black pieces, Divya claimed an impressive 1.5-0.5 lead by winning the second game in white, clinching her place into the final
Her victory not only makes her first Indian women ever to reach the final of this tournament, but also earns herself a coveted spot in the women’s candidate’s tournament 2026 and her first Grandmaster norm
Divya’s Path to the final has been remarkable: she defeated top competitors including Zhu jinner, Harika Dronavalli, and now Tan Zhogayi, claming consecutive win over grandmasters.
Her final opponent will be determined tomorrow from the atch between Koneru Humpy and Lei Tinjjie who are locked in two tiebreak games after two drawn classical matches
A chess Prodigy from Nagpur, Divya dazzled with her fearless play and mental fortitude, after the match she noted it was sharp but said
“I could have played much better”
downplaying the win but reflecting her strong self-belief.