THE QUEEN OF 64 SQUARES

SHE'S BOLD, BRILLIANT, AND BREAKING ALL THE RULES-DIVYA DESHMUKH IS REDEFINING WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CHESS PRODIGY IN INDIA TODAY

- - By Juliana Sridhar. Juliana is a lawyer and columnist

Divya Deshmukh, all of 19 years has been making remarkable strides in the chess circuit. Born in Nagpur in a Marathi family to doctor couple Jitendra and Namrata, Divya has an elder sister Arya who is a lawyer.

A product of Bhavan's Bhagwandas Purohit Vidya Mandir in Nagpur, she balances both academics and chess quite admirably. After completing her schooling, she is now pursuing her higher education.

Though she started off her chess career as a curious chess player at the tender age of 5, it was by chance and not by choice. However, she grew to enjoy the game and achieve success after success. She recently created history by becoming the youngest woman to win the FIDE Women's World Cup held in Batumi, Georgia this year. This win not only earned her the prestigious grandmaster title but also qualified her for the FIDE Women's Candidates Tournament to be held in 2026.