Goa, July 28 -- In a watershed moment for Indian chess, 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh etched her name in history books on Monday by defeating the legendary Koneru Humpy in the final of the FIDE Women's Chess World Cup. With this stunning victory, Divya becomes the first Indian to ever win the title-a feat that signals the rise of a new star in the chess world.

The stage was set in Batumi, Georgia, where two generations of Indian chess talent faced off. After two nail-biting days of classical games ended in draws, the championship went into rapid tie-breakers. In the first game, nerves dominated as both players settled for a draw. But in the second, with the black pieces in hand and a steely calm, Divya seized her moment-delivering a decisiv...