‘Incredible’ is the only word that can describe the way chess in India has progressed, particularly in recent times. For a long time, it was a one-man show led by Viswanathan Anand, who inspired a generation of champions now vying with each other for a place at the top. According to current world champion D. Gukesh, the Covid era accelerated this growth, as being indoors brought increased attention to the sport. With Anand launching an academy and bringing in a sense of structure and organisation, momentum picked up—and today, an entire army of Indian chess stars has emerged to take the global stage by storm. Without doubt, the sport in India has never had it so good.

The juggernaut had begun to roll last year, when both the men’s and women’s teams completed a unique double at the FIDE Chess Olympiad held in Budapest. Then came D. Gukesh, who stunned the world and sent India into ecstasy by winning the world title, defeating reigning champion Ding Liren of China in Singapore. He became the youngest-ever player to achieve this feat. Shortly thereafter, the seasoned Koneru Humpy clinched the World Rapid title.

What has brought the spotlight back on Indian chess once again is Divya Deshmukh, a 19-year-old from Nagpur. Divya, who was part of the women’s team at the Budapest Olympiad, claimed centre stage this time in Batumi, Georgia, by winning the prestigious FIDE Women’s World Cup title—defeating none other than Koneru Humpy in a gruelling knockout finale. Remarkably, Divya became the youngest-ever winner of the title. What’s more, with this victory, she also earned the Grandmaster title, becoming only the fourth Indian woman to do so.

It has been almost a month since that historic moment in Batumi, and by now, Divya Deshmukh should be a familiar name in households across the country. She continues to receive special attention in the media—and rightly so, given the magnitude of her achievement. While she has not yet become a World Champion, this latest triumph has earned her a spot in the Candidates Tournament, where she must once again prove her mettle to win the right to challenge the reigning champion, Ju Wenjun of China. What made her performance particularly remarkable was that she entered the tournament as the 15th seed and went on to defeat formidable opponents, including World No. 6 Zhu Jiner, veteran Grandmaster Harika Dronavalli, former Women’s World Champion Tan Zhongyi, and ultimately, the prodigious Koneru Humpy.

Two other Indians, D. Harika and R. Vaishali, also reached the quarterfinals—marking the first time that four players from one country featured in the quarterfinals of the event, which also serves as a qualifier for the next Women’s Candidates Tournament.

With Divya now becoming the fourth woman Grandmaster (GM) in India, alongside Harika, Humpy, and Vaishali, the total number of Indian GMs stands at 88. What makes Divya’s feat even more extraordinary is that, prior to this tournament, she did not have even one of the three GM norms required for the title. Her aim in Batumi was to earn her first norm—but instead, she walked away with the GM title itself! Need anything more be said about the surge in women’s power in Indian chess?

And it doesn’t end there for this young, stupendously talented player, who began tasting success in chess as early as age seven. Next month, at the FIDE Swiss chess tournament in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Divya has taken the bold decision to compete in the open section—trading moves with male counterparts as one of the lower seeds. Chess is one of the few sports where women are free to compete against men. One would have expected her to play in the women’s section and potentially win it—but her competitive spirit drives her to seek tougher challenges.

The top finishers in Samarkand will qualify for next year’s Candidates Tournament. Since Divya has already secured her place through her World Cup victory—being the only Indian woman to do so—her aim now appears to be strengthening her play. Many of the world’s top players have followed this path, and now Divya has chosen to chart the same course. After all, success is what fuels her forward.

For a long time, Indian male players have dominated the spotlight on the international chess stage. Interestingly, there are currently 12 Indians in the top 100 of the FIDE rankings, including three—R. Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, and D. Gukesh—who occupy the No. 4, No. 5, and No. 6 spots, respectively. Now, Indian women are also rising steadily. There are ten Indian women in the top 100, including Humpy, who won the World Rapid title for the second time last year, along with Vaishali (Praggnanandhaa’s elder sister), Harika, and Divya—who are all currently ranked within the top 20.

Divya’s stunning success should inspire more young girls to consider chess as a serious career option. India needs more girls to create magic on the chessboard. While the current women’s line-up looks strong enough to defend the Olympiad gold next year, it is crucial that the country continues to nurture fresh talent and build a strong foundation. The healthy rivalry among Indian chess players is sure to benefit the sport enormously.

For now, as Viswanathan Anand—who closely followed Divya’s progress—remarked, the teenager’s triumph is “a great celebration of Indian chess.”