Divya Deshmukh: I was already thinking about Candidates when I won Chess World Cup
The year was 2025, and Divya Deshmukh was not yet a Grandmaster when she entered the Women’s World Cup. She went on to defeat second-seed Tan Zhongyi, tenth-seed Harika Dronavalli, and several higher-ranked players to win the title, achieving her Grandmaster norm in the process. Since then, she has emerged as one of the leading names in Indian chess and is a strong contender at the Candidates tournament, which begins on Sunday in Pegeia, Cyprus.
World No. 10 Divya will take on a strong field – that includes returnees Zhongyi, Anna Muzychuk, Aleksandra Goryachkina, Kateryna Lagno and compatriot R Vaishali – in her bid to win the tournament and earn a shot at the Women’s World Championship.
Speaking to FIDE in an interview ahead of the opening round, Divya said she is looking forward to her first game against Ukraine’s Muzychuk, who was drafted into the tournament a week ago after Koneru Humpy withdrew, citing personal reasons.
“I feel very excited, I am very happy and honoured. The location is great and I’m looking forward to it,” she said.
Divya comes into the tournament on the back of an impressive third-place finish at the 2026 Prague Chess Challengers, which helped her reach a peak rating of 2509.3 and enter the top 10 in the live women’s rankings.
The 20-year-old had nearly a year to prepare for the Candidates after qualifying in July 2025 by winning the Women’s World Cup in Georgia, becoming the first Indian to claim the title.
“I was already thinking about the Candidates when I won the World Cup. It has been stressful and difficult, but I feel good. I want to win the Candidates, and it is also my first time here, so I want to enjoy the experience as well,” she said.
Despite making her Candidates debut, she will face familiar opponents over the next two weeks. She holds a good record against Vaishali with two wins and two draws, while Zhongyi will be keen for revenge after losing to the Indian in the 2025 World Cup semifinal. She had also defeated Zhu Jiner during that campaign.
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Speaking on whether experience is crucial at this level, she said: “I think of course experience helps, but only to a certain extent. After that, it is about how much you have worked and how much you are willing to give. Even at the World Cup, I was less experienced, but it went well.”
There has been chatter around the host city in Cyprus amid the ongoing war in West Asia, but she said she is comfortable with the location, having visited before. She pointed to her time in Nicosia last year during the Women’s Grand Prix, where she finished seventh.
As the youngest contender in the field, she said her age could work in her favour as it brings less pressure.
“I feel grateful and proud of where I am, because not many people have reached here at such a young age. I think age can be an advantage. I don’t think there is much pressure on me, apart from what I put on myself,” she said.
On a lighter note, the organisers mentioned her hobbies – gardening and painting. She said it has been a while since she pursued them and added that she is looking forward to trying horse-riding during her time in Cyprus.
Published on Mar 28, 2026