Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday extended his congratulations to Indian chess prodigy Divya Deshmukh on her remarkable victory over World No.1 Hou Yifan in the second leg of the Blitz semi-final at the World Team Blitz Championships in London.
Divya Deshmukh, the world junior number one, delivered a stunning performance by defeating world number one Hou Yifan of China at the World Blitz Team Chess Championship in London. Representing Hexamind Chess Club, Divya avenged her earlier loss to Yifan, who played for WR Chess Team, securing a crucial victory.
“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,” Modi said in a post on handle X.
Divya’s win showcases her exceptional skill, grit, and determination, inspiring a new generation of chess players.
Divya, playing for Hexamind Chess Club, defeated Hou Yifan, representing WR Chess Team, in a thrilling 74-move game. Despite losing the first leg, Divya bounced back strongly in the second leg, utilizing her opening advantage and clock management skills to outmanoeuvre her opponent.
Divya won the individual bronze medal for her impressive performance on board 6 in the rapid format. She had helped her team, Hexamind Chess Club, secure a silver medal in the rapid format and a bronze medal in the blitz format.
Divya achieved a rating performance of 2606 in the blitz event and 2420 in the rapid format.