Divya Deshmukh exclusive: Fearless chess, World Cup win, and India's surge
Q) Divya, it's been five days. You entered Batumi as an International Master and a strong contender for the World Cup title. Five days later-you're the 88th Grandmaster, World Cup winner, with a Candidates spot. You've met the Chief Minister. How much sleep have you had? Have you managed to recover? Are you still processing it all?Divya Deshmukh: I haven't had any sleep. It's been quite a chaotic week-but I think this is the kind of chaos people want, so I can't complain much. But yes, I definitely need a lot more time to recover.Q) What were your thoughts when Koneru Humpy made that final blunder? What did you feel in those first few moments when you realised you were about to win the World Cup?Divya Deshmukh: I was so focused on the game, and you can't let emotions take over until it's actually over-there's always a fighting chance. For me, the moment it hit was around 30 seconds before she resigned. I didn't have much time to process it. And once she actually resigned, it was a flood of emotions. It was quite surreal.Q) There's a viral video of you, Gukesh, and Leon Mendonca discussing the game's nuances. Your play in the rapid tiebreakers was aggressive, despite drawish openings like the Catalan and Queen's Gambit. Where does that aggression come from? What drives it?Divya Deshmukh: I think it's just the way I've been brought up. It's always been with me-nothing new. For me, it's just inbuilt to look for aggressive ways to complicate the game. I think I perform better in those situations. So yes, it's natural.Q) What was the one game in the tournament that gave you the confidence that you could go all the way and win the title?advertisementDivya Deshmukh: I always had faith in myself and the belief that I wanted to go for the title. But I wasn't really aiming for it-I was just focused on taking it one game at a time. Then, when I reached the finals, I thought, okay, maybe now it's time to really fight for the title.Q) Can we call you the "Chinese Grandmaster Killer"? You beat Hou Yifan in the World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships, Zhu Jiner, and Tan Zhongyi at the World Cup. What's made you so consistent against China's best? Is there a particular weakness you've uncovered?Divya Deshmukh: That's a tough question. I don't know if it's about them, really. All of them are very strong players. But I didn't do anything new-I just kept fighting until the end. I think that's what helped me.Q) Your opening prep and defensive endgames were solid. You mentioned your Hungarian second, who burned the midnight oil for you. What adjustments did you make between the World Rapid/Team Blitz and the Chess World Cup?Divya Deshmukh: It's not really comparable-they're two completely different tournaments. First, the format: the World Cup is classical, not rapid or blitz. Rapid events are a bit less stressful and happen every year. The World Cup only happens every two years. That was also a team event; this was individual. So yes, the preparation was very different. I had to work much harder. And this was also a test of emotional, physical, and mental resilience-because it's an elimination format, and you could be out at any moment.advertisementQ) After your win, you said it was "fate." And you'd already beaten Humpy before-at Tata Steel in the Rapids. But why describe this title as fate? From the outside, your play looked solid and earned.Divya Deshmukh: I said "fate" in reference to how I got my GM title-not about beating Humpy. Before going into the tournament, I had no GM norms. And then overnight, I went from IM to GM with no norms. That's why I called it fate.Q) We're clearly in a golden era-Gukesh is World Champion at 18, Pranav Venkatesh is World Junior Champion, you and Humpy are in the Candidates. But on the flip side, you're still only India's fourth female Grandmaster. Why do you think India hasn't produced more women GMs? Are you hopeful this will now change?Divya Deshmukh: Definitely. I was very happy when Humpy reached the finals, because it's a great thing for Indian chess. Whether I win or Humpy wins, it's going to inspire young girls either way. I really hope it motivates them. And with the recent chess boom, it's quite obvious-this is not the end. There are going to be many more.advertisementQ) You've been called the "CEO." Dina Belenkaya called you the "Bollywood girl." The attire you wore also became symbolic-people said you kept winning because of the outfit's colour! Now, heading into the Grand Swiss and Candidates, will you be thinking more about your chess or your wardrobe?Divya Deshmukh: (laughs) No, of course not. I don't spend much energy thinking about what I'll wear. It maybe takes up 1 percent of my mind space. It's something that helps me feel confident and powerful-that's why I do it. But the focus is chess. Definitely not clothes. - Ends
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