#deshmukh

R Vaishali vs Divya Deshmukh (Photo by Yoav Nis) NEW DELHI: The second round of the FIDE Candidates 2026 began with a touch of royalty on Monday. Five-time world champion and FIDE Deputy President Viswanathan Anand stepped up to the board of Divya Deshmukh and Vaishali Rameshbabu to make the ceremonial first move.It was a fitting start for a clash between two of India’s brightest talents, in a…

R Vaishali vs Divya Deshmukh (Photo by Niki Riga) NEW DELHI: In the zero-sum world of elite chess, the camaraderie between compatriots often has to be set aside at the board. This was evident on Wednesday at the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort as India’s two sensations, R Vaishali and Divya Deshmukh, faced off in a crucial Round 9 encounter at the Women’s Candidates.In what can be labelled as an…

Divya Deshmukh vs Anna Muzychuk (Photo by Michal Walusza) NEW DELHI: After the relative calm of Monday’s rest day, where some players were out on the court playing padel, the storm returned to the boards at the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort in Cyprus with a hint of vengeance. Tuesday’s Round 8 of the FIDE Candidates 2026 proved that in a 14-round marathon, rest often acts as a catalyst for chaos…

Vaishali, Divya Deshmukh, and Praggnanandhaa (Photos by Michal Walusza and Yoav Nis) NEW DELHI: As the FIDE Candidates Tournament crosses the near-midway mark of its 14-round marathon, a kind of intensity has started filling the Mediterranean air. However, for the Indian contingent, the narrative is split between a desperate scramble for relevance in the Open section and a gritty, if somewhat…

Divya Deshmukh (Photo by Yoav Nis) NEW DELHI: If R Praggnanandhaa’s opening-round victory over Dutch No. 1 Anish Giri at the Candidates was a manifesto of his aggressive DNA, Round 3 was a flashy reminder of the game’s flattering nature.On a day that began with high hopes for the Indian contingent at the Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort in Paphos, Cyprus, the script soon flipped into a disaster,…

Divya Deshmukh (Image credit: FIDE) NAGPUR: “I am sure it will happen sooner than later.” Divya Deshmukh, fresh after becoming world junior girls chess champion, had oozed confidence about playing the Candidates. That was June 2024.Last July, Divya qualified for the 2026 Candidates by becoming India’s first women’s World Cup winner while earning the Grandmaster title. Thirteen months later, you…

Koneru Humpy vs Divya Deshmukh (Photo: @FIDE_chess on X) The pairings for the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament and Women’s Candidates Tournament have been announced, setting the stage for who will challenge for the world chess titles. Both events will be held in Cyprus from 28 March to 16 April 2026 and will follow a double round-robin format, meaning every player faces each other twice.In the…

India Grand Master (GM) Divya Deshmukh says she won’t mind losing all 11 games in the ongoing FIDE Grand Swiss tournament in Samarkand as long as she is learning.Divya was handed a defeat by her mentor Abhimanyu Puranik, who helped her win the FIDE Women’s World Cup, in the opening round. But the 19-year-old bounced back in style to hold Alexander Donchenko to a draw in round 2.“Even if I lose…