‘Proud of young Divya Deshmukh’: PM Modi congratulates 19-year-old on becoming first Indian to win Chess World Cup title | Chess News

Divya Deshmukh and PM Modi (Agency Photos)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated young Indian chess player Divya Deshmukh for winning the FIDE Women’s World Cup final against Koneru Humpy in Batumi, Georgia, on Monday.Divya, aged 19, made history by becoming the first Indian woman to win the Chess World Cup after defeating Koneru in the final through tiebreaks. She earned the distinction of becoming India’s fourth woman grandmaster and the country’s 88th overall.“A historic final featuring two outstanding Indian chess players! Proud of the young Divya Deshmukh on becoming FIDE Women’s World Chess Champion 2025. Congratulations to her for this remarkable feat, which will inspire several youngsters. Koneru Humpy has also displayed immense prowess throughout the championship. Best wishes to both players for their future endeavours. @DivyaDeshmukh05 @humpy_koneru,” PM Modi wrote on X (formerly Twitter).“My heartiest congratulations to Divya Deshmukh, who has become the first Indian woman to win the FIDE Women’s World Cup, that too, at a very young age of nineteen,” President Droupadi Murmu wrote on X. The crucial match saw Koneru make several inaccurate moves in the second rapid game. She found herself at a disadvantage with one pawn down in the rook endgame, ultimately benefiting Divya.

Koneru conceded the match on the 75th move, resulting in a final score of 2.5-1.5.Despite missing two opportunities presented by Koneru’s imprecise moves, Divya seized the decisive moment. The turning point came when Koneru captured the f pawn on move 69, shifting the advantage to Divya.Divya capitalised on this opportunity, executing the correct moves and forcing Koneru’s resignation after six moves.The emotional significance of the victory overwhelmed Divya, bringing tears to her eyes. The moment became even more touching when she shared an embrace with her mother.