Arjuna Awardee Divya Deshmukh is poised to make her highly anticipated debut in the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League Season 4, joining defending champions Alpine Pipers alongside chess legend Magnus Carlsen.
Key Points
- Indian chess star Divya Deshmukh will debut in the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League Season 4.
- She joins defending champions Alpine Pipers, featuring world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen.
- Deshmukh, an Arjuna Awardee, is excited for the rapid chess format and playing in India.
- The league's mixed-team format will run from September 5 to 13, featuring 36 top players.
- Deshmukh looks forward to the team experience alongside elite players like Carlsen, Giri, and Gujrathi.
Indian chess star Divya Deshmukh will make her Tech Mahindra Global Chess League debut with defending champions Alpine Pipers when the fourth season begins here on September 5.
The 20-year-old, who recently won an Arjuna Award, will join a formidable Pipers' line-up featuring world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, Anish Giri, Vidit Gujrathi and Volodar Murzin.
Excitement For Rapid Chess Format And Home Crowd
Having largely competed in individual tournaments, Deshmukh said she is looking forward to the challenge of rapid chess in the league's franchise-based team format and the opportunity to play in front of a home crowd.
"It's my debut, so I'm definitely very excited. It's not like any other chess tournament. There's going to be a lot of audience for this one, which is going to be really nice. And also, the format is quite different to classical events, so it's fun. Playing in India is always fun," Deshmukh said.
Playing Alongside Chess Legends
While the opportunity to play alongside Carlsen has added to the anticipation surrounding her debut, Deshmukh said the overall strength of the squad was equally exciting.
"I guess it's always great to have a teammate that is considered one of the best in the world. But for me, it's also not just Magnus in my team. There are so many great players overall. There's Anish, there's Vidit, and there's also Murzin. So, it's not just about one person. It's about the whole team," she added.
Deshmukh said she would first look to understand the demands of the format before assessing what she could take away from the experience.
"If I can take lessons from it, we will only find out after the event. I can't say anything now. But yeah, I'm very excited to play this format," she said.
Season 4 will feature 36 leading players representing six global franchises in the league's mixed-team format, and will be held from September 5 to 13.
