Rhodes
Indian chess prodigies D Gukesh and Divya Deshmukh struck gold at the European Club Cup, capping a stellar week for Indian chess on the global stage. Gukesh, representing SuperChess, clinched gold on the top board while also leading his team to the overall title. In the women’s section, Divya Deshmukh bagged gold on the second board as her team, Cercle d’echecs de Monte Carlo, emerged champions.
For Gukesh, the triumph marks a vital resurgence in form ahead of the Chess World Cup 2025, beginning later this month in Goa. The reigning World Champion has endured an uneven season, finishing eighth in the inaugural Freestyle Chess Grand Slam and 11th in its Paris leg earlier this year. He also came sixth in the second leg of the Grand Chess Tour in Romania but produced notable wins over Magnus Carlsen at Norway Chess and in the Rapid section of the SuperUnited Croatia tournament.
“It’s a huge confidence boost before the World Cup,” said Gukesh, who will enter the Goa event as the top seed. His compatriots Arjun Erigaisi and R Praggnanandhaa are seeded second and third, respectively, in the 24-player Indian contingent.
In the women’s event, 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh’s gold medal reinforced her growing reputation as one of India’s brightest talents. The Nagpur-born player is India’s only female representative in the upcoming World Cup and will look to carry this momentum into the home tournament.
The Chess World Cup 2025, scheduled from October 31 to November 27 in Goa, will also serve as a qualifier for the 2026 Candidates. The impressive performances by Gukesh and Divya underline India’s rising dominance in world chess ahead of a crucial season.
