Pushkar Singh Dhami hails Grandmaster Divya Deshmukh for defeating world number one in World Team Blitz Championships
Taking to X, Pushkar Singh Dhami posted, 'Hearty congratulations to Divya Deshmukh ji on defeating world number 1 player Hou Yifan in the semi-finals of the second stage of the World Team Blitz Championship held in London. This remarkable achievement of yours is an inspiration for chess players across the country. I have full faith that you will continue to make the country proud with your excellent performance in the future as well. Infinite best wishes for your bright future!'
https://x.com/pushkardhami/status/1935634215023858091
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the Indian chess grandmaster Divya Deshmukh.
Taking to X, PM Modi posted, 'Congratulations to Divya Deshmukh on defeating the World No. 1, Hou Yifan in the 2nd leg of Blitz semifinal at the World Team Blitz Championships, London. Her success highlights her grit and determination. It also inspires many upcoming chess players. Best wishes for her future endeavours.
https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1935609992507191500
Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also posted, 'Checkmate ! Heartiest congratulations to our chess star Divya Deshmukh on her stunning win over World No. 1 Hou Yifan in the 2nd leg of the Blitz semifinal at the World Team Blitz Championships in London. Wishing you the very best for the future games.'
https://x.com/mansukhmandviya/status/1935240571893002316
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)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
8 minutes ago
- Hans India
FIDE Women's WC to have Indian winner for first time
Batumi: In a first for Indian chess, the FIDE Women's World Cup will have a winner from the country with Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh set to fight it out in what could be anybody's game in the grand finale here on Saturday. It's the first in the event's history that two Indians are facing each other in the final. Both Humpy and Deshmukh have qualified for the Women's candidates' tournament next year after reaching the final here. On pure experience of playing big games, Humpy goes in the final as the favourite against compatriot Deshmukh. Humpy held her nerves to score a come-from-behind victory in the semifinals over Tingjie Lei of China in the tiebreaker on Thursday, while Deshmukh defeated former world champion Zhongyi Tan -- also of China -- in the second game of the last-four stage match. Grandmaster Humpy, 38, was the winner of the world women's rapid tournament and also tied for first at the women's grand prix in recent times and she has proved yet again that age is just a number. Her grit and determination has not faded one bit in the past many years. 'It's one of the happiest moments for chess fans because now the title will go to India for sure. But of course, as a player, tomorrow will be quite a tough game as well -- Divya has played tremendously well in this whole tournament,' Humpy told FIDE website. At half the age of Humpy, International Master Deshmukh has already stunned as many as three players ranked in top ten in the event. Her first victim was second seed Jiner Zhu of China, before ousting D Harika.
Hans India
8 minutes ago
- Hans India
Root's 38th Test ton puts India on backfoot
Manchester: Joe Root produced a batting masterclass on way to a milestone 38th hundred as England exploited a jaded Indian bowling attack to stamp their dominance on the fourth Test here on Friday. At stumps on day four, England were 544 for seven, stretching their first innings lead to 186 runs. Root made a sublime 150 off 248 balls while the other contributions came from Ben Stokes (77 batting off 134) and Ollie Pope (71 off 128), a day after the openers put a pedestrian looking Indian attack to sword. It has been a long tour with another Test to go in a week's time but considering the body language of Indian pacers in the field on Friday, lasting the whole series would be a challenge. The visitors have already been hit by a series of injuries with the latest one being X-factor cricketer Rishabh Pant's toe fracture. Both Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj seemed to be bowling with a niggle while debutant Anshul Kamboj hit underwhelming speeds in the range 125-130 kmph. Even Bumrah, who usually bowls in the range of 140 kmph, clocked speeds in the lower 130s. Having bowled just one over in the afternoon session, Bumrah was seen holding his ankle and even had to leave the field briefly. In his 24th over, he managed to procure the wicket of Jamie Smith (9). Siraj too seemed to be in discomfort like Bumrah, but he bowled with more intensity in the final session and was rewarded the wicket of Chris Woakes. The sun was out for the majority of the day, making conditions better for batting. Root made full use of that and in the process surpassed the great Ricky Ponting to become the second highest run-getter in Tests, only behind Sachin Tendulkar, who tallied 15921 runs. The lone positive for India was the performance of Washington Sundar who struck twice in the afternoon session after being questionably brought in as late as the 69th over. Shardul Thakur was used for 11 overs, raising questions on the presence of three all-rounders in the team. Brief scores: India 1st innings: 358 all out in 114.1 overs (Sai Sudharsan 61, Yashasvi Jaiswal 58; Ben Stokes 5/72). England 1st innings: 544 for 7 in 135 overs (Joe Root 150, Ben Duckett 94; Washington Sundar 2/57 ).
India.com
8 minutes ago
- India.com
Top 8 Batters With Most Runs In First Innings Of A Test Match: Sachin Tendulkar Leads, Joe Root Enters Elite Club
photoDetails english 2937114 Updated:Jul 26, 2025, 11:52 AM IST Sachin Tendulkar - 5,608 Runs 1 / 9 The God of Cricket leads the elite list with 5,608 runs in the first innings of Tests, achieving this milestone in 91 innings. His consistency at the top set the foundation for India's dominance. Ricky Ponting - 5,403 Runs 2 / 9 Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting follows closely with 5,403 runs in 92 innings, known for his aggressive yet dependable batting style in crucial opening stints. Steve Smith - 5,274 Runs 3 / 9 Modern-day Test legend Steve Smith has amassed 5,274 runs in just 71 innings, showcasing his unmatched ability to dictate terms early in the game. Steve Waugh - 4,855 Runs 4 / 9 Australian great Steve Waugh takes the fourth spot with 4,855 runs in 94 innings, often anchoring his side with gritty and determined knocks. Jacques Kallis - 4,317 Runs 5 / 9 The legendary South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis scored 4,317 runs in the first innings from 80 innings, combining solid defense with elegance. Rahul Dravid - 4,121 Runs 6 / 9 Known as 'The Wall', Indian batting maestro Rahul Dravid accumulated 4,121 runs in 75 innings, providing reliability when it mattered most. Allan Border - 4,056 Runs 7 / 9 Former Australian captain Allan Border makes the list with 4,056 runs in 87 innings, remembered for his leadership and fighting spirit. Joe Root - 4,023 Runs 8 / 9 England's Test stalwart Joe Root is the only active player on the list, scoring 4,023 runs in 84 innings. Root's adaptability and consistency keep him among cricket's all-time greats. 9 / 9 All Images:- X, ESPNcricinfo
