Chennai: India’s chess might was on display once again at the recent Women’s World Cup in Batumi, where title-winner Divya Deshmukh scripted a hat-trick of extraordinary successes.Divya, the country’s latest Grandmaster, powered through with her teen spirit despite not being among the odds-on favourites to clinch the crown.“We (Gukesh and Divya) basically grew up together. We played in the same tournaments right from when we were eight or nine years old. The way Divya won the World Cup was really inspiring. It is not easy to win the tournament, you have to play regularly for a month. I have played the World Cup two times, so I know how difficult it is to win,” Gukesh said in a Velammal Nexus event that was organised to felicitate Mount Everest conqueror Ashish.“Both of them (Divya and losing finalist, veteran Koneru Humpy) played amazingly well. For Indian chess, it is important that we have good results in both men (open) and women.”India can complete a WorldCup double when the global tournament is hosted in the country later this year. While chess world’s governing body FIDE have announced the dates for the event – October 30 to November 27 – the host city is yet to be finalised.
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“For sure, I will take part in the World Cup. I am really excited and looking forward to it. In chess, we do not have many knockout events, so the World Cup is the biggest knockout tournament. After the Olympiad (in 2022), India hosting a big event is important for Indian chess,” added Gukesh, who will be gunning for his maiden WC trophy.‘Will play more classical chess in the rest of the year’After playing in just two classical tournaments – Tata Steel Chess in Wijk aan Zee and Norway Chess in Stavanger – in the first half of the year, Gukesh intends to compete in more standard events in the remaining part of 2025.The 19-year-old finished runner-up in Tata Steel Chess after going down to compatriot R Praggnanandhaa on tie-breaks and later came third in Norway Chess. “I had a decent tournament in Norway, it was my last classical event. In the next part of the year, I will be playing in more classical tournaments,” said Gukesh.On his form in the other formats, Gukesh said: “My performances in rapid were good in Zagreb (he topped the chart in SuperUnited Rapid), but I need to correct my mistakes in blitz.”
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