Underdog Divya Deshmukh arrived at the glamorous FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025 with the aspiration of securing at least one Grandmaster norm on her quest to become a GM someday. Little did the 19-year-old from Nagpur realize that she would defeat some of the sport’s biggest and best names to bag three big honours in a period of approximately three weeks earn a place in the Candidates tournament next year, claim the coveted title and along the way, earn herself a Grandmaster title. Though attaining the status of GM is one of the most challenging processes in the game as a player has to gain three GM norms in FIDE-supported tournament events and breach the 2500 rating, things worked out for the brilliant Nagpur player.
Special Provision for Women’s World Cup Champion
FIDE has a provision that the winners of some top-level tournaments can bypass the normal norm-and-rating path and become GMs outright. The Women’s World Cup is one such FIDE event wherein the champion immediately becomes a GM if not already so.
“I need time to process it (victory). It think it was fate me getting the Grandmaster title this way because I didn’t even have one norm (coming into the event) and all I was thinking of was ‘Oh, when can I get my norm’, and now I’m a Grandmaster so…,” said Deshmukh, who beat compatriot Koneru Humpy to emerge winner.
A Moment of Emotion with Her Mother
The young woman had her mother, a physician, accompany her in her moment of triumph.
She became tearful shortly after defeating Humpy, a two-time World Rapid champion and hugged her mother warmly, crying throughout.
“It’s hard for me to speak right now. It definitely means a lot, but of course there’s a lot more to achieve,” said Deshmukh. “I’m hoping this is just the start.” The achievement made Deshmukh only the fourth Indian woman to become a GM after Humpy, Dronavalli Harika and R. Vaishali.
