Nagpur: Continuing her remarkable rise on the global chess stage, Nagpur’s young Grandmaster Divya Deshmukh added another feather to her cap by securing a bronze medal at the prestigious FIDE World Rapid Team Championship, which concluded in Hong Kong on Friday.
The 21-year-old chess sensation represented the formidable Hexamind Chess Team, featuring some of the world’s biggest names, including Alireza Firouzja, Levon Aronian, Anish Giri, Vidit Gujrathi, Volodar Murzin and Kateryna Lagno. Competing against elite international opposition, Divya played a crucial role in helping her team finish on the podium in one of the strongest team events on the global chess calendar.
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Hexamind capped off its campaign with a hard-fought 3.5-2.5 victory over Birdie and Friends in the 12th and final round. The team finished level on 18 match points with eventual champions Dragon Chilling and Team MGD1. However, the tie-break score pushed Hexamind to third place, earning the coveted bronze medal.
Playing on Board Six, Divya featured in seven of the twelve rounds and amassed an impressive 4.5 points. Her composed performances against top-rated opponents proved instrumental in Hexamind’s medal-winning run. On the concluding day, she held Indian Grandmaster D Harika and Chinese star Lei Tingjie to draws, helping her team remain in contention for the title until the final round.
One of the defining moments of the tournament came when Hexamind stunned title contenders Dragon Chilling 4-2. While veteran Levon Aronian defeated Chinese ace Wei Yi, Divya delivered a solid and mature display to draw against Lei Tingjie, contributing significantly to the landmark victory.
The bronze-medal finish further cements Divya’s reputation as one of India’s brightest chess talents and marks yet another major international achievement for the Nagpur prodigy, who has been consistently making headlines on the world circuit.
Meanwhile, Nagpur’s first Grandmaster Raunak Sadhwani also earned praise for his gritty performance while spearheading Team Chessnut Nova on the top board against some of the strongest players in world chess.
Despite narrowly missing a podium finish, the 21-year-old showcased exceptional resilience and fighting spirit throughout the event. Facing elite Grandmasters round after round, Raunak scored 6.5 points from 12 games, registering three wins, seven draws and only two losses. His impressive performance earned him 11.9 rating points and a tournament performance rating of approximately 2650, significantly above his current Elo rating.
Raunak finished strongly on the final day, collecting 2.5 points from four rounds and forcing Azerbaijan’s top-ranked Grandmaster Shakhriyar Mamedyarov to settle for a draw in the closing round.
Reflecting on his campaign, Raunak described it as a valuable learning experience and a confidence booster.
“Playing on the top board against such strong opposition is always challenging. I am happy with many of my games, though there were positions I could have converted better. Holding players of that stature gives immense confidence and reinforces the belief that I can compete with the very best,” he said.
With Divya returning home with a world championship bronze medal and Raunak proving his mettle against elite opposition, Nagpur’s growing stature as a powerhouse of Indian chess received a major boost on the international stage. The performances of the city’s two Grandmasters have once again brought pride to India and highlighted the immense chess talent emerging from the Orange City.
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