Divya Deshmukh
Indian players secure draws and wins in Prague chess festival
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World champion D Gukesh drew with Hans Moke Niemann in the opening round of the Prague International Chess Festival 2026 Masters section. Defending champion Aravindh Chithambaram bounced back with a victory over Niemann in round two. In the Challengers section, Divya Deshmukh held higher-rated opponents to draws in both rounds.
Indian Grandmaster Divya Deshmukh, 19, has been invited to the Norway Chess Women tournament in Oslo, marking her as the youngest participant since its 2024 launch. Following a stellar 2025 season where she won the FIDE Women’s World Cup and earned the GM title, she joins Bibisara Assaubayeva and Anna Muzychuk in the six-player field. The event, set for May 25 to June 5, underscores growing gender equality in elite chess.
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Chief Justice of India Surya Kant presented the Dynamite News Young India Country Award to 19-year-old chess grandmaster Divya Deshmukh in New Delhi on January 26. The honour recognizes her recent victory in the FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025, where she became the first Indian woman to win the title. Kant praised her achievements and expressed anticipation for her future milestones.