Divya Deshmukh, hailing from Maharashtra, became the senior national women’s chess champion in March 2022. |
She received coaching from Rahul Joshi since the age of six, switching from badminton to chess due to her short height at four years old. |
Her interest in chess was sparked by her father's hobby, and she clinched her first prize at the young age of five. |
In 2021, she became India's 21st Woman Grand Master (WGM) by achieving her 2nd International Master (IM) title in Budapest, Hungary. |
In March 2022, Divya made history by becoming Nagpur's first senior national women’s chess champion, being the first teenager to achieve this since 2003. |
For winning the MPL 47th National Women’s Championship in Bhubaneshwar, she received a cash prize of Rs. 50,000 from the Maharashtra Chess Association in March 2022. |
Her coach RB Ramesh praised her talent, hard work, and humility, emphasizing her steady progress and increasing rating. |
Identifying Viswanathan Anand as her idol, Divya also shares her love for dogs on social media through postings. |
At the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in 2024, held in the Netherlands, she faced sexist behavior from the audience, sharing her experience on Instagram where her appearance was discussed more than her game performance. |