Chess: Divya Deshmukh Ranked First In India's U-16 Girls' Category

The beginning of the year 2020 has ushered in some historic achievements in women’s chess in India. While Koneru Humpy becomes the Women's World Rapid Chess Champion by the end of 2019, teenage chess queen Divya Deshmukh is starting off 2020 as the country’s top master in U-16 (under 16 age group) girls’ category. On Wednesday, the World Chess Federation (FIDE) released a ranking list of Chess players and ranked Deshmukh as first in the U-16 girls’ chess in India and fifth in the world with the international rating points of 2,322.

Key Takeaways:

• Divya Deshmukh, chess queen from Nagpur, has become the country’s first master in U-16 Girls’ category and fifth in the world.
• She is also the first in the U-18 and fifth in U-20 girls; category of chess in India.
• She turned 14 in December and graduated into U-16 age category from U-14.
• While in U-14, she was ranked first in April 2019 and remained for the next seven months.
• She has scored a total Elo of 2322, becoming India’s eleventh chess player in the women’s category. The first and second in the list is Komeru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli respectively.

According to Times of India, Deshmukh turned 14 last month and graduated into U-16 category from earlier U-14 category. Last year in April, Divya was already seated on the world’s first position in the U-14 age category and maintained her status for the next seven months after which she was eligible for U-16 category. According to the reports, she is also India’s first chess master in the U-18 age girls’ category and fifth in the U-20 category.

While Nagpur’s Deshmukh has registered her first position, Mrudul Dehankar from the same city has jumped up to the third position in India’s U-16 girls’ category in Chess. The second position, following Divya, has been bagged by the chess player from Tamil Nadu, Rakshitta Ravi.

 India's eleventh chess player in women's category

However, Deshmukh has fallen down to the eleventh position in the women’s open category of chess players from the earlier third position. In April last year, Deshmukh scored an Elo of 2432 and registered her name as India’s third chess player in the women’s category in the FIDE ranking list. In the ranking list of January 2020, Deshmukh has reportedly lost 110 Elo points, settling for 2322 points. Consequently, she has been moved to the eleventh position in the list of which is topped by the chess stalwarts Koneru Humpy as the first and Harika Dronavalli as the second Indian chess player in the women’s category.

Also Read: Koneru Humpy Finishes 12th In Chess Blitz World Championship

While Nagpur’s Deshmukh has registered her first position, Mrudul Dehankar from the same city has jumped up to the third position in India’s U-16 girls’ category in Chess. The second position, following Divya, has been bagged by the chess player from Tamil Nadu, Rakshitta Ravi.

On Wednesday, the World Chess Federation (FIDE) released a ranking list of Chess players and ranked Deshmukh as first in the U-16 girls’ chess in India and fifth in the world with the international rating points of 2,322.

A look at names from the city in men's category

Kanpur’s Raunak Sadhwani, the only Grandmaster in the city, also turned 14 last month and was ranked as India’s fourth chess player in the U-16 boy’s category. With the Elo of 2522, Raunak follows India’s leading junior chess champions Nihal Sarin, Praggnanandhaa R and Gukesh D in the ranking list by FIDE. Vidharba’s third International Master, Sankalp Gupta has earned an Eloof 2400 and has been ranked as seventh in the U-18 boy’s category and seventeenth in India.

Picture Credit: Delhi Chess Association

Rudrani Kumari is an intern with SheThePeople.TV

Also Read: World Women’s Chess Championship: Know The Indian Grandmasters