Meet Divya Deshmukh, India's chess star, who defeated World No.1, she is from...

Divya Deshmukh, India's chess star, has created history by defeating World No. 1 Hou Yifan in the second leg of the blitz semifinal at the World Team Blitz Championships in London. Representing Hexamind Chess Club, the 19-year-old Indian sensation squared off against the Chinese titan, who played for the WR Chess Team. In a thrilling 74-move battle, Divya outplayed Yifan, who blundered her bishop in a drawn pure rook vs. bishop endgame.

In the blitz format, Divya racked up six wins, one draw and just one loss out of eight games, clocking an elite performance rating of 2606. She later dominated the third-place playoff, helping her team defeat Uzbekistan 3.5–2.5 in both rounds to claim team bronze.

Who is Divya Deshmukh?

Divya is a 19-year-old chess prodigy from Nagpur. She holds the titles of Woman Grandmaster and International Master. She is a three-time gold medalist at the Olympiad. Deshmukh has also won multiple golds at the Asian Championship, the World Junior Championship, as well as the World Youth Championship. She received her early education from Bhavans Bhagwandas Purohit Vidya Mandir. Her parents, Jitendra Deshmukh and Namratha Deshmukh, are doctors.

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PM Modi lauds Divya Deshmukh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday lauded India's chess sensation Divya Deshmukh for her first-ever victory over  "Congratulations to Divya Deshmukh on defeating the World No. 1, Hou Yifan in the 2nd leg of Blitz semifinal at the World Team Blitz Championships, London. Her success highlights her grit and determination. It also inspires many upcoming chess players. Best wishes for her future endeavours," PM Modi wrote on X.

Congratulations to Divya Deshmukh on defeating the World No. 1, Hou Yifan in the 2nd leg of Blitz semifinal at the World Team Blitz Championships, London. Her success highlights her grit and determination. It also inspires many upcoming chess players. Best wishes for her future… pic.twitter.com/mjdWO0llFT

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 19, 2025

In the rapid format, Divya got five wins, six draws, and just one loss and secured team silver and an individual bronze on Board 6, with a performance rating of 2420. The third edition of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships took place in London between June 10 and 16. The total prize fund was 5,00,000 euro; 3,10,000 euro for the rapid tournament and 190,000 euros earmarked for the blitz.

(With inputs from IANS)