I was trying to focus on my performance, not thinking about anything else: GM Divya

Grandmaster Divya Deshmukh has said she was not under any kind of pressure while playing the FIDE Women’s World Cup final against compatriot Koneru Humpy as she had “nothing to lose”.

Divya arrived in Nagpur on Wednesday from Batumi, Georgia to a reception befitting a world champion, with the young achiever overwhelmed by the affection shown by the the people at the airport.

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,” Divya told PTI Videos, when asked if she was under pressure in the final.

“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 not just won the tournament and earned the GM title, she also secured a spot in next year’s Candidates and became richer by $50,000.

Divya is hoping women’s chess will take off in a big way in India following her success.

“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].”