Know about Indian chess player Divya Deshmukh

Divya Deshmukh, an 18-year-old Indian chess prodigy, recently spoke out about the sexism and misogyny she experienced in the chess world. This came after she participated in a tournament in Wijk Aan Zee, Netherlands.

In a heartfelt Instagram post, the young International Master highlighted the disparity in treatment that female chess players face during tournaments.

'Everything was discussed except my games'

Divya, who hails from Nagpur and is the reigning champion of the Asian women’s chess championship, expressed, “I’ve been meaning to talk about this for some time, but I wanted to wait until my tournament ended. I’ve noticed, and others have pointed out, how spectators often overlook women in chess.”

She continued, “A recent personal experience was during this tournament. I played several games that I was quite proud of. However, people told me that the audience was more interested in everything else but the game - my attire, hairstyle, accent, and other unrelated aspects,” she shared in her Sunday Instagram post.

''I was quite upset to hear this and I think it is the sad truth that people when women play chess often overlook how good they are, the games they play and their strength,'' she said. ''I was quite disappointed to see how everything was discussed in my interviews (by the audience) except my games, very few people paid attention to it and it is quite a sad thing.

`''I felt it was unfair in a way because if I go to any guy's interview there would be way less judgement on a personal level, actual compliments about the game and the player,'' she asserted.

“I was often the only girl in all-men chess tournaments. And the behavior of some of these male chess players was appalling. It sometimes became very dangerous. I was many times fearful for my life. Some male chess players cannot take NO for an answer, especially when they had too much to drink. Some tried to physically and sexually assault me,” she added.

Who is Indian chess player Divya Deshmukh

Divya Deshmukh, a young chess player hailing from Nagpur, Maharashtra, was born on December 9, 2005. At 18, as of 2023, she has already made a mark in the chess world, particularly known for clinching the gold medal at the MPL 47th National Women Chess Championship in 2022.

Coming from a family deeply rooted in academics and medicine, Divya's father, Dr. Jitendra Deshmukh, serves as a renowned gynecologist and professor, while her mother, Dr. Namrata Deshmukh, provides unwavering support. The chess prodigy, who started playing with her father, exhibited remarkable talent, leading to early victories in various championships.

Divya Deshmukh's career trajectory includes notable achievements such as becoming the national champion in the Under-7 Girls category in 2012 and securing two gold medals at the 2012 Asian School Chess Championship. Her stellar performance continued with victories in national and international championships, earning gold, silver, and bronze medals across different categories.

With a FIDE rating of 2301 as of February 2022, Divya holds the title of Women Grandmaster (WGM) since 2022. Beyond her chess prowess, she occupies the 29th position in the Top 100 girls according to FIDE rating and people recognize her as one of the top 10 Indian female Blitz chess players.

In 2023, Divya won the Asian Women’s Chess Championship held in Almaty. She also emerged victorious in the women’s rapid section of the Tata Steel India Chess Tournament, despite being the bottom seed. During the tournament, she defeated several notable players such as Harika Dronavalli, Vantika Agrawal, Koneru Humpy, Savitha Shri B, Irina Krush, and Nino Batsiashvili.

She drew against Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun and Anna Ushenina, and her only loss was to Polina Shuvalova. Divya’s achievements are a testament to her skill and dedication to the game of chess.

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