‘I never thought I was in any danger’: GM Divya Deshmukh on why she did not feel any pressure playing Koneru Humpy in World Cup final
India Grandmaster and FIDE Women’s World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh said that she did not feel that she was under any kind of pressure while playing Koneru Humpy in the final because she felt she had nothing to lose. The 19-year-old overcame the 38-year-old Humpy, a two-time World Rapid champion, in the time-controlled tie-break after the two classical rounds ended in draws. This was Divya’s biggest success in her career and came after Humpy blundered in the second tie-breaker under time pressure.
“I never thought I was in any danger. I guess that the last blunder which she (Humpy) made, handed me the win. Since I had no results in my hand, so I was just trying to focus on my performance and wasn’t thinking about anything else,” said Divya, who entered the event as an underdog aiming to win a Grandmaster norm and ended up becoming a GM,” Divya told PTI Videos.
Divya, who secured a spot in next year’s candidates after this win, said that she hoped that her victory will inspire parents to let more women pursue chess.
“I am hoping that women will take up the sport in a big way after this success, especially youngsters, and they start dreaming that nothing is impossible. I don’t have a message for the young generation but for their parents and that is they should wholeheartedly support their children because they need them more during their failures, not so much in success,” added Divya.
On her arrival at the airport on Wednesday night, Divya had credited her success to her parents.
“My parents have played the biggest role in my career. Without them I would not have reached here. Credit to my family, my parents, my sister, and my first coach, Rahul Joshi sir. He always wanted me to become the Grandmaster, and this is for him,” said Divya, about Joshi, who died in 2020 at just 40 years of age.
“My mother and father had a bigger role to play but definitely my whole family, my sister Arya Deshmukh, my grandmother, grandfather…I don’t think whatever I will say will be enough (for my parents).”
(With agency inputs)
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