Aggression leads me to victories

Interview Divya Deshmukh FIDE Women's World Cup winner

- ANIRUDH MADHAVANTHERE'S

THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH you can hope to win from a single tournament. But Divya Deshmukh hoped for a bit more. The 19-year-old from Nagpur not only booked a berth in the Candidates tournament next year, but also became the first Indian to win the FIDE Women's World Cup. The added bonus—she went from international master to grandmaster with a famous win over Koneru Humpy in the all-Indian final at Batumi in Georgia on July 29.

Winning the World Cup, it turns out, allows a player to bypass the norms needed to earn the GM title. With that, Divya became only the fourth Indian woman GM, joining Humpy, Harika Dronavalli and Vaishali Rameshbabu.

As historic an achievement as it was, Divya was not ready for the reception back home. Sons of Chennai are used to adoring crowds taking them from airport to home. Nagpur is no Chennai. Yet, scores gathered at the airport with flowers and drums.

The next few days were a whirlwind—Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis presented her with a ₹3 crore award, family friend Chief Justice B.R. Gavai dropped in to congratulate her, functions near and far were lined up and the notifications on her phone wouldn't stop.

But perhaps Divya should get used to it, especially if she continues her recent form. In the past few years, she has won the Women's World U-20 Championship, the Chess Olympiad as part of the Indian team and now the senior World Cup.

Next year, she will take part in the Candidates; if she wins, she gets an opportunity to dethrone current World Champion, China's Ju Wenjun. Excerpts:

Q Did you speak to Humpy before the final? What is your relationship like?

As we were going to play each other in the final, we did not speak.

Humpy akka and I are compatriots.