At the First Saturday Grandmaster chess match in Budapest, Hungary, Divya Deshmukh became India’s latest Woman Grand Master (WGM).
“Completed my 2nd IM norm and my last WGM norm. Hoping to play some more good chess in the upcoming tournaments,” the 15-year-old Maharashtrian player tweeted.
She gained her third and final WGM-norm by achieving five points from nine rounds with a rating interpretation of 2452. She also earned her second IM-norm, putting her one norm short of being an International Master.
Apart from three victories, she had four draws and two losses in the event. Deshmukh is the country’s 21st WGM, according to the All-India Chess Federation (AICF).
“Congratulations @DivyaDeshmukh05, latest Woman Grandmaster of India. Nagpur teenager Divya Deshmukh becomes the latest Woman Grandmaster of the country after achieving her second International Master Norm (Final WGM Norm) at First Saturday Grandmaster October 2021, Budapest Hungary,” the AICF tweeted.
At the Velammal International women’s round-robin competition and the Aeroflot Open 2019, the Nagpur youngster had earned the first two WGM norms. Divya Deshmukh’s first over-the-board event since the COVID-19 outbreak last year occurred in Budapest.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, she was unable to compete in over-the-board events. That did not stop her from practicing and preparing for future opportunities. She was a member of the Indian team that won gold at the FIDE Online Olympiad 2020 last year. She’s only one IM-norm away from becoming India’s newest International Master.