Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], Divya Deshmukh added another important title to her already impressive collection by winning the World Junior Chess Championship 2024 in Gandhinagar in the Under-20 category on Thursday.
She defeated Beloslava Krasteva of Bulgaria in the championship round. Of the 101 players from 27 countries competing in the tournament, Divya and Krasteva are the two junior girls ranked in the top 20 according to FIDE ratings. The third placed Indian will move to first place with a win.
Divya was the only leader in the last five rounds of Open and Girls category.With 5.5 points, she was the clear favorite at the start.
She won her first World Junior Girls Chess Championship by remaining undefeated throughout the competition.
Divya expressed her feelings after winning the tournament.
Divya said, "I think the Gujarat Association has organized it well. The sports venues are good, the hotels are good and I have no problems here. Hopefully more tournaments will be organized here.I played well and I am satisfied with my gameplay,” he told ANI.
“I am very happy, the tournament was well organized and therefore it was a bit easy for me. It was hard, some players were so good that their rating did not match how good a player they are... My family has been with me in all difficult times...right now I have no plans for the future. I want to become a GM (Grandmaster) as soon as possible.I don't have any particular role models, but there are people I take inspiration from,” said the junior champion.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel also congratulated the winners of the World Junior Chess Championship 2024.
“I am told that more than 225 players from 46 countries participated in this championship event. When players are in front of the chess board, you not only play to win, but you also play for your country I congratulate those players who have won...'' Bhupendra said.
In the girls' category, Mariam Mkrtchyan secured the runner-up position by being half a point behind Divya.Ayan Allahverdiyeva of Azerbaijan finished third.
In the final round, the International Master (IM) won over another Indian, Saachi Jain, taking her total to nine points. The 18-year-old was ahead of Armenia's Mariam Mkrtchyan by half a point.
She defeated Beloslava Krasteva of Bulgaria in the championship round. Of the 101 players from 27 countries competing in the tournament, Divya and Krasteva are the two junior girls ranked in the top 20 according to FIDE ratings. The third placed Indian will move to first place with a win.
Divya was the only leader in the last five rounds of Open and Girls category.With 5.5 points, she was the clear favorite at the start.
She won her first World Junior Girls Chess Championship by remaining undefeated throughout the competition.
Divya expressed her feelings after winning the tournament.
Divya said, "I think the Gujarat Association has organized it well. The sports venues are good, the hotels are good and I have no problems here. Hopefully more tournaments will be organized here.I played well and I am satisfied with my gameplay,” he told ANI.
“I am very happy, the tournament was well organized and therefore it was a bit easy for me. It was hard, some players were so good that their rating did not match how good a player they are... My family has been with me in all difficult times...right now I have no plans for the future. I want to become a GM (Grandmaster) as soon as possible.I don't have any particular role models, but there are people I take inspiration from,” said the junior champion.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel also congratulated the winners of the World Junior Chess Championship 2024.
“I am told that more than 225 players from 46 countries participated in this championship event. When players are in front of the chess board, you not only play to win, but you also play for your country I congratulate those players who have won...'' Bhupendra said.
In the girls' category, Mariam Mkrtchyan secured the runner-up position by being half a point behind Divya.Ayan Allahverdiyeva of Azerbaijan finished third.
In the final round, the International Master (IM) won over another Indian, Saachi Jain, taking her total to nine points. The 18-year-old was ahead of Armenia's Mariam Mkrtchyan by half a point.
