Indian chess prodigy Divya Deshmukh, an Arjuna Award recipient, is set to make her debut in the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League Season 4 with defending champions Alpine Pipers. She will join a star-studded team including Magnus Carlsen, Anish Giri, and Vidit Gujrathi, expressing excitement for the rapid chess format and playing in front of a home crowd.
The fourth season of the Global Chess League will feature Norwegian grandmaster Magnus Carlsen's return and Indian FIDE Women's World Cup champion Divya Deshmukh's debut.
Divya Deshmukh has embraced the 'confession box' at Norway Chess, highlighting its potential to enhance player clarity and viewer engagement, despite its slow adoption among Indian grandmasters.
In the women's section, World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh turned the tables on overnight leader Anna Muzychuk to jump into joint lead with four others.
Divya Deshmukh not only became the first Indian woman to win the FIDE Women's World Cup, she also instantly secured the prestigious Grandmaster title.
India's global chess domination was lauded by President Droupadi Murmu in her address to the nation on Thursday
The chess champ loves to dress her nails and hair.
Divya Deshmukh of India outclassed Bulgaria's Beloslava Krasteva to clinch the title in the World Junior Girls' chess championship
Indian IM Divya Deshmukh alleges sexism by spectators at Tata Steel Masters in Wijk Aan Zee
Teen prodigy Divya Deshmukh stunned seasoned grandmaster Koneru Humpy in a tense tiebreak to win the 2025 FIDE Women's World Cup in Batumi, Georgia, rewriting Indian chess history at just 19.
International Master Divya Deshmukh maintained a slender half-point lead after defeating Norman Kseniya of Russia in the eighth round of the World Junior Girls' chess championship in Gandhinagar on Monday.
Seventeen Indian sportspersons, including World Cup winning chess player Divya Deshmukh, decathlete Tejaswin Shankar, and shuttler Gayatri Gopichand, have been named for the prestigious Arjuna Award for 2025.
The Indian men's chess team secured a silver medal on a tie-break after drawing with Hungary, while the women's team clinched a bronze medal by drawing with Georgia at the 46th Chess Olympiad.
Indian chess teams, both open and women's, secured victories in the second round of the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, maintaining their top positions with four match points. While the open team faced some challenges, including draws for D Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa, Nihal Sarin's win was crucial. The women's team achieved a more dominant performance with wins from Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, and B Savitha Shri.
The Indian men's and women's chess teams delivered strong performances in the seventh round of the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand. The men's team defeated England, with R Praggnanandhaa and D Gukesh securing crucial wins. The women's team dominated Germany with a 3.5-0.5 victory, highlighted by wins from Koneru Humpy, Divya Deshmukh, and Savitha Shri.
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa drew his fourth-round game at the FIDE Candidates Tournament, while Divya Deshmukh suffered a loss. Javokhir Sindarov made significant progress with another win.
The Indian men's team continued its fine performance, defeating Spain 3-1, with World champion D Gukesh showing the way with a very clean victory over former world championship challenger Alexei Shirov.
R Vaishali kept Indian hopes alive by defeating Divya Deshmukh in the ninth round of the Women's Candidates Chess Tournament, while Anish Giri's victory impacted Fabiana Caruana's chances in the open section.
India's men's and women's chess teams are set to defend their respective Chess Olympiad titles, with strong lineups featuring world champion D Gukesh and in-form R Praggnanandhaa for the men, and Koneru Humpy leading the top-seeded women's squad.
The Indian men's and women's chess teams delivered strong performances at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, with the men's team defeating Spain 3-1 and the women's team securing an identical 3-1 victory over Mongolia. World champion D Gukesh led the men's success with a clean win against Alexei Shirov, while Arjun Erigaisi also contributed significantly. In the women's section, B Savitha Shri and Divya Deshmukh were instrumental in their team's win.
D Gukesh surrendered to Wesley So in Armageddon, while red-hot Frenchman Alireza Firouzja tore past R Praggnanandhaa to storm to the top.
India is sending a strong contingent, including world champion D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, and R Vaishali, to the FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand from September 16 to 27.
The Indian men's chess team defeated Italy 3-1, with Nihal Sarin and D Gukesh securing key wins. The women's team also achieved a dominant 3.5-0.5 victory against Greece, maintaining their strong position in the 46th Chess Olympiad.
From supporting young talents financially to earning global recognition, Indian chess is making its presence felt like never before.
Defending champions Alpine APL Pipers, led by World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and Indian Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi, defeated FYERS American Gambits 9-7 in a critical Global Chess League match. Carlsen ended Javokhir Sindarov's winning streak, while Gujrathi secured a marathon victory, propelling Pipers closer to a final berth.
The Indian chess team, including defending champions, faced significant delays and were left without hotel rooms for over five hours upon arrival in Samarkand for the 46th Chess Olympiad, prompting captains to voice their frustration on social media.
The Global Chess League (GCL) has launched Road2GCL, a six-week community engagement initiative, to build excitement for its fourth season in Bengaluru. The programme includes competitions like Road2GCL Contenders, offering aspiring players a chance to compete with GCL stars, alongside activities for clubs, schools, and content creators. Season 4 will feature 36 Grandmasters, including Magnus Carlsen and debutant Divya Deshmukh.
Deshmukh thanked the CM and the people of Nagpur for felicitating her.
D Gukesh defeated R Praggnanandhaa in a classical battle at the Norway Chess tournament, while Divya Deshmukh leads the women's section after a victory over China's Zhu Jiner.
India's women's chess team, led by B Savitha Shri, secured a 2-2 draw against Kazakhstan at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand. The men's team also drew 2-2 against Azerbaijan. These results keep both Indian teams in contention, though defending the title appears challenging with China leading the women's section and Germany joining Uzbekistan at the top in the open section.
D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa secured important wins in Round 7 of the Norway Chess tournament, while Divya Deshmukh defeated Koneru Humpy, boosting India's chances in the competition.
Divya Deshmukh has been awarded a wild card for the FIDE World Cup 2025 following a last-minute withdrawal of one of the participants.
Defending champions India faced significant organisational issues upon arrival in Samarkand for the Chess Olympiad, experiencing a five-hour delay in hotel room allotment. Players and coaches, including Grandmasters Srinath Narayanan and Vidit Gujrathi, expressed frustration over the poor arrangements for the prestigious FIDE tournament.
The Indian contingent at the Norway Chess tournament faced a difficult day as all four players, including world champion D Gukesh, suffered defeats in Round 6. Magnus Carlsen gained momentum, while Wesley So took the lead.
Divya Deshmukh earned the biggest success of her career by clinching the FIDE Women's Chess World Cup with a tie-break win over compatriot Koneru Humpy.
The Sports Ministry is set to commence the nomination process for the National Sports Awards next month, following a delayed announcement of the 2025 awards. The delay was due to a re-evaluation process aimed at preserving the integrity of the honours, which resulted in no Khel Ratna awardee for 2025 and fewer Arjuna awardees than recommended. The article also details the criteria for these prestigious awards and highlights some of the notable Arjuna awardees for 2025.
The Indian men's chess team secured a dominant 3.5-0.5 victory over Uzbekistan-2, placing them in sole second position at the 46th Chess Olympiad. The Indian women's team drew 2-2 with leaders China, maintaining their third-place standing. Both teams are well-positioned for medals as the tournament approaches its final stages.
The Indian men's chess team, led by world champion D Gukesh, secured a 2.5-1.5 victory over Germany, while the women's team dominated Uzbekistan 3-1 in the ninth round of the 46th Chess Olympiad. Both teams remain in contention for a podium finish, with Gukesh's comeback win being a highlight.
The reigning champions Indian men's chess team suffered a significant 1.5-2.5 defeat against Uzbekistan in the sixth round of the 46th Chess Olympiad, losing their lead. While key players like Praggnanandhaa, Erigaisi, and Gukesh drew their matches, Nihal Sarin's loss to Nodirbek Yakubboev proved decisive. This setback leaves the Indian men needing a strong comeback, while the Indian women's team showed promise against the USA.
Slowly but surely emerging as one of India's key players, International Master Divya Deshmukh stunned higher-ranked compatriot Harika Dronavalli 2-0 in the tiebreaks to enter the semifinals of the FIDE World Women's Chess Cup in Batumi, Georgia.
