PM Narendra Modi praised Indian chess prodigy Divya Deshmukh for her landmark victory over World No 1 Hou Yifan at the World Team Blitz Championships in London.
The 18-year-old delivered the stunning win during the second leg of the blitz semifinal, representing the Hexamind Chess Club.
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.”
Divya took on Hou Yifan, who represented the WR Chess Team, in a tense 74-move match.
The game reached a rook vs bishop endgame, where Yifan made a critical blunder, losing her bishop in what was a theoretically drawn position. Divya capitalised to score her first-ever win against the Chinese chess legend.
In the blitz format, Divya recorded six wins, one draw, and one loss out of eight games, achieving an elite performance rating of 2606.
She later led her team to a bronze medal victory, helping defeat Uzbekistan 3.5–2.5 in both rounds of the third-place playoff.
Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also applauded Divya’s achievement on X.
“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,” he posted.
Divya also impressed in the rapid segment of the championship. She won team silver, individual bronze, and scored 5 wins with a 2420 rating.
The third edition of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships was held in London from June 10 to 16.
The event, however, featured a total prize fund of €500,000, with €310,000 allocated to the rapid tournament and €190,000 to the blitz event.
Divya’s performance marks a significant milestone in Indian chess and further cements her status as a rising global star.
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