Queens of the Board: Meet 5 Rising Female Chess Stars of India

By: Ayushi Dutta, Correspondent

Divya Deshmukh: FIDE rating of 2463 as of June 2025

Divya Deshmukh, born in Nagpur, Maharashtra, is a promising international chess player. She holds the titles of Woman Grandmaster (WGM) and International Master (IM) since 2021 and 2023, respectively. Divya's career began at a young age, with titles in youth championships including the World Under-10 Girls Chess Championship in 2014. She has won several titles, including the Women's Indian Chess Championship in 2022, the Asian Women's Chess Championship in Almaty, and the FIDE World U20 Girls Chess Championship in 2024. The 19-year-old played a pivotal role in India's gold medal victory at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest. Divya was honored with the Sportstar Aces Award for Sportswoman of the Year in 2025.