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Key Points

Divya Deshmukh made headlines by defeating world No. 1 Hou Yifan at the World Blitz Team Chess Championship. She credited PM Modi’s encouragement and her teammates for the morale-boosting win. India’s chess dominance continues with Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, and Arjun Erigaisi excelling globally. The victory highlights India’s growing reputation as a chess powerhouse.

Key Points: Divya Deshmukh Stuns World No. 1 Hou Yifan in Chess Blitz

  • Divya Deshmukh defeats reigning world No. 1 Hou Yifan
  • PM Modi praises her historic win
  • India shines with Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa in global chess
  • Rising stars like Arjun Erigaisi boost India’s chess legacy
2 min read

Divya Deshmukh stuns world no. 1 Hou Yifan at World Blitz Team Chess Championship

Indian chess prodigy Divya Deshmukh defeats world No. 1 Hou Yifan, earning praise from PM Modi and inspiring India’s rising chess dominance.

"PM Modi has written very nice things which are very encouraging and motivating. – Divya Deshmukh"

Nagpur, June 19

Indian chess prodigy Divya Deshmukh pulled off a remarkable victory at the World Blitz Team Chess Championship, defeating Chinese Grandmaster and World No. 1 Hou Yifan in a gripping encounter that showcased her growing stature in international chess.

The 19-year-old's performance was a major highlight of the tournament and a proud moment for Indian chess.

While speaking to ANI after her stunning win, Divya expressed her happiness and gratitude for the support she has received both from her teammates and from the country's leadership.

"I am very happy," she said.

"PM Modi has written very nice things which are very encouraging and motivating. It makes me feel very good and gives me a lot of inspiration to win medals for India in the future," she added.

Divya also acknowledged the role of her teammates in keeping her spirits high during the intense tournament.

"My teammates were very encouraging and quite motivating, and it really helped me," she noted.

Notably, India has been doing really well at the international level in chess as of late.

D. Gukesh, the reigning World Champion and recipient of the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award secured a third-place position in the Norway Chess tournament, which concluded early in June. One of his standout moments during the competition was a win over world number one Magnus Carlsen, which was his first classical game win over him. Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi also finished fifth.

Also, Aravindh Chithambaram, clinched first place in the Stepan Avagyan Memorial Chess Tournament, and R Praggnanandhaa, secured second place in the same tournament. The tournament was held from May 28 to June 6.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
What a proud moment for India! Divya's victory against the world no.1 shows how far Indian chess has come. Our young talents are making waves globally. Kudos to her and the entire team! 🇮🇳♟️
P
Priya M.
Beating Hou Yifan is no small feat - she's a legend! Divya's calm demeanor during the match was impressive. Hope this inspires more girls to take up chess. Our women are shining in every field!
A
Amit S.
While I'm happy for Divya's achievement, I wish our media would give equal coverage to other sports too. Chess deserves attention, but so do our athletes in less glamorous sports.
S
Sneha R.
The way our chess players are performing, India might soon become the new chess superpower! Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and now Divya - what a talented generation we have. Bas ab Olympics mein chess ko include karwao!
V
Vikram J.
Interesting that she mentioned PM Modi's encouragement. Good to see our leaders supporting chess players. But hope the government also increases funding for chess infrastructure in smaller cities.
N
Neha P.
As someone from Nagpur, we're so proud of Divya! She's proving that you don't need to be from metro cities to achieve greatness. More tournaments should be held in tier-2 cities to nurture hidden talents.

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