Divya Deshmukh, 19, one of India's brightest chess stars, made global headlines after stunning World No. 1 Hou Yifan -- a defining win that powered the Hexamind Chess Club to a bronze medal finish.
Divya, 19, rocked the chess world by defeating World No. 1 Hou Yifan in a dramatic 74-move Blitz semifinal at the 2025 FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championship -- a landmark win that stamped her arrival on the global stage.
Her win helped India secure bronze in Blitz and silver in Rapid at the team championships.
'Finally, what seemed like an eternity is over... Had an amazing experience with the team!'
'Her success highlights her grit and determination': PM Modi.
6 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss -- Divya clocked a stunning 2606 performance rating in the Blitz segment.
Started chess at age 5. Won U-7 Nationals in 2012.
By 2021, she was a Woman Grandmaster.
Won U‑10 (Durban, 2014), U‑12 (Brazil, 2017) world titles.
World U‑20 Champion in 2024.
Part of India's gold-winning team at the 2024 Chess Olympiad in Budapest. Won 3 gold medals overall.
Born to Dr Namrata and Dr Jitendra Deshmukh. Trained by GM R B Ramesh at Chess Gurukul, Chennai.
In 2024, Divya sparked debate on gender bias and sexism in chess.
With team medals, individual honours and elite performances, Divya Deshmukh is now a global name in chess.