India’s Divya Deshmukh stunned World No. 1 Hou Yifan of China in the Blitz Semifinals of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championship, which concluded in London. Divya, the World Junior No. 1, has finished the championship on a high with three medals. She faced Yifan in the second leg of the semifinal round of the championship.

This clash in the shortest format of chess had much in common with the classical game played recently between World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and world champion D Gukesh. A 19-year-old prodigy from Nagpur, Divya showed nerves of steel and tactical brilliance by clinching a 74-move victory in a tense rook-vs-bishop endgame. Her personal medal haul includes team silver (Rapid), team bronze (Blitz) and individual bronze, a remarkable achievement for a first-timer at this global stage.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded Divya’s performance on Thursday. “Congratulations to Divya Deshmukh on defeating the World No. 1, Hou Yifan in the 2nd leg of Blitz semifinal at the World Team Blitz Championships, London. Her success highlights her grit and determination. It also inspires many upcoming chess players. Best wishes for her future endeavours,” the PM wrote on X.