Deshmukh scripted history on Monday by winning the FIDE Women’s World Cup, defeating veteran Koneru Humpy in a thrilling tie-breaker. The 19-year-old from Nagpur not only claimed her biggest career title but also earned the prestigious Grandmaster title. She is now the fourth Indian woman to do so and the 88th overall.

After the classical games on Saturday and Sunday ended in draws, the match headed into tie-breaks. Playing white first, Divya was held to a draw again, but in the second game, with black pieces, she outplayed the two-time world rapid champion to seal a 2.5-1.5 victory.

Deshmukh now joins the elite league of Koneru Humpy, Dronavalli Harika and R Vaishali. What makes her feat even more remarkable is that Humpy, now 38, became a Grandmaster back in 2002, three years before Divya was even born.

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With this achievement, the 19-year-old from Nagpur becomes India’s 88th Grandmaster overall. In the tense tie-breaker clash, Deshmukh was a livewire, relentlessly pressing Humpy in the opening round, eventually exhausting her veteran opponent before sealing the deal in the return leg. Overcome with emotion, she shed tears of joy after defeating an opponent twice her age.

“I need time to process it,” Deshmukh said. “I think it was fate, me getting the Grandmaster title this way because before this tournament, I didn’t even have one GM norm. And now, I am the Grandmaster,” she added.

Chess legend Viswanathan Anand lauded her triumph and called it a “great celebration of Indian chess”.