Opinion Divya Deshmukh’s victory showcases the depth of women’s chess in India

Indian chess had a breakthrough moment on Monday when Divya Deshmukh defeated veteran compatriot Koneru Humpy in the final of the FIDE Women’s World Cup in Batumi, Georgia. At 38, Humpy is twice Deshmukh’s age, which made the final a true clash of generations: Humpy, the original trailblazer of women’s chess in India, became the country’s first woman to claim the grandmaster title, while Deshmukh is the fastest comet to shoot past the skies and become a grandmaster. Her meteoric rise can be gauged from the fact that just last year, she had become the World Junior Champion in the girls’ category. Thirteen months later, she’s fighting for — and winning — the biggest titles on offer in the senior category.

The spectacle of two Indian women fighting it out in the final of the World Cup, an event where 107 players from 46 nations competed, is special. But what makes the win even more significant is the fact that while two Indians were in the final, two Chinese players — former women’s world champion Tan Zhongyi and Lei Tingjie — were fighting for third place after losing to the two Indians. China is a powerhouse of the women’s event, having given the world six out of the 17 women’s world champions in history. This includes the current women’s world champion, Ju Wenjun, and the current World No 1, Hou Yifan. Humpy and Deshmukh defeated four of the nine Chinese players who came to Batumi. The FIDE Women’s World Cup was another demonstration of India’s increasing depth in the women’s event. Last year, the Indian women’s team, spearheaded by Deshmukh, had claimed a gold medal in the Women’s Chess Olympiad, the most prestigious team event in the largely individual sport.

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The good news for Indian women chess is that it’s not just about Deshmukh and Humpy. In Harika Dronavalli, the country has another veteran who has been around for decades now. And there are players like Vaishali Rameshbabu and Vantika Agrawal, who will be the torchbearers of women’s chess for India in the coming decades. At the World Cup, besides Deshmukh and Humpy, Rameshbabu and Agrawal also made it to the quarter finals — India had the most representation at that stage. Having conquered the Olympiad and the World Cup, the next step now for the likes of Deshmukh and Humpy will be to qualify for the Women’s World Championship — and to win it.