NAGPUR: As a four-year-old, Divya Deshmukh wanted to play badminton at a sports academy in Nagpur, just like her elder sister. But as she was not tall enough to play the sport, her parents shifted her to the chess class being held one floor below. And thus began her journey to become an international chess champion.
Now 11, Divya, the daughter of gynaecologists Jitendra and Namrata Deshmukh, won the World Cadet Chess Championship in the under-12 category at Pocos de Caldas, Brazil, on August 31.
She returned to Nagpur on Saturday, and was welcomed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the airport.
“Inspired to meet 11-year-old Divya Deshmukh at Nagpur. She won the girls’ U12 World Cadets Chess Championship this week. Congratulations. Divya has represented India ten times and won 14 Gold, two silvers, and four bronze medals. Proud moment for not just Nagpur but for our nation,” Mr. Fadnavis tweeted after meeting her.
This was Divya’s second world title. In 2014, she won the under-10 World Youth Chess Championship in Durban. The Class VI student also has the Asian Schools Championship and Asian Youth Championship under her belt.
The 11-year-old is a little overwhelmed with all the attention. “It’s a good feeling, but I am getting a little tired of so many phone calls from people. I want to celebrate my win by eating nice food every day,” she said.
During the world championship, there were times when she had to play for ten hours in a day, but managed to stay focused. “The last round was tough but I was confident of the win,” said Divya, who considers Vishwanathan Anand as her idol.
“She won local tournaments just six months after learning to play chess at the age of four, and went on to play nationals. After that, there was no looking back. She became a Commonwealth champion, Asian champion and now a world champion,” said her father.
Divya’s mother gave up her private clinic to focus on her daughter’s sport. One of her parents always travels with her for tournaments. Her school, Bhavans’ Vidya Mandir in Nagpur, also supports her, said Mr. Deshmukh.
She practices chess five hours a day when she doesn’t have school, and is currently a student of R.B. Ramesh’s Chess Gurukul based in Chennai.
Despite her success in the sport, her parents think she’s too young to decide a career. “As parents, we have to balance things and make the decision. Choosing chess as a career depends on her capability to play chess to that level at that age,” said her father.
But ask Divya if chess is a hobby, a passion or just a sport for her, she is quick to reply, “It’s a career for me.”