REIGNING two-time national women’s champion, Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Divya Deshmukh added another feather to her cap after she became India’s latest International Master with a round to spare at Baku Open 2023 in Azerbaijan.

 

Despite losing the penultimate round against her statemate IM Aditya S Samant, Divya still managed to become an International Master. Her last round result is now immaterial as it won’t affect her norm chances. She just has to appear and play her final round game. Divya scored her first IM-norm at Velammal-AICF International WGM Round Robin in February 2019 at the age of 13 years. She also scored her maiden WGM-norm at the same event.

 

The second IM-norm was scored at First Satuday GM October 2021 when she was a 15-year-old. Now at the age of 17 years, the Asian Continental 2022 women bronze and Blitz Women 2022 gold medalist, has become an International Master. Divya has achieved a lot of accolades at a tender age.