India: Cradle of Modern Chess Queens

Indian chess is basking in a golden era, and it's not just a passing streak but a wave of triumphs hinting at an even more luminous future.

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Long after Viswanathan Anand's five world titles made India a chess powerhouse, a new generation is scripting a fresh chapter, bolder, younger, and refreshingly diverse.

In the past year, India has taken the chess world by storm. From clinching team gold at the Chess Olympiad to producing a teenage World Champion in D. Gukesh, the momentum is unmistakable. And now, all eyes are on Divya Deshmukh, the 19-year-old prodigy from Nagpur, who has etched her name into history by conquering the Women's World Cup in Batumi, Georgia.

The event featured 107 of the world's best, competing in grueling knockout duels across formats, from classical to blitz. In a twist befitting a screenplay, the final saw two Indians vying for the crown: the seasoned Koneru Humpy, 38, and the rising star DivyaDesmukh, whose energy eventually outpaced experience.

After two tense draws in classical games, it was the rapid tiebreak that broke the deadlock.