patodi bhaji, kande pohe await divya

Surprise family celebration planned for city’s chess prodigy

By Paritosh Pramanik

NEWLY-CROWNED World Under-12 Cadet Chess champion Divya Deshmukh will be receiving a surprise celebration at home when she returns on Saturday evening.
Divya and her father Dr Jitendra will be arriving in Nagpur on Saturday at 4.30 pm.
“We will be receiving her at the airport. All family members and friends will be there. It’s a big moment for us,” said Divya’s mother Dr Namrata Deshmukh while talking to ‘The Hitavada’.
Eleven-year-old Divya Deshmukh, a student of Bhavan’s Bhagwandas Purohit Vidya Mandir, Civil Lines, clinched the girls Under-12 World Cadets Chess title at Pocos de Caldas, Brazil on Thursday.
In the 11th and final round, third seed Divya drew with top-seed compatriot Rakshitta Ravi to win the coveted title. She scored a total of 9.5 points out of 11 to help India win its only medal in the championship.
Divya, who has an ELO rating of 1993, emerged winner in eight games and drew three rounds to wrest the trophy.
“Divya is fond of Patodi Bhaji. We are planning to prepare her favourite food. I know she will be eager to munch her favourite Patodi Bhaji as she might be tired of the continental food while on tour. Her aunt will be preparing Kande pohe, too, as Divya likes it the most,” said Dr Namrata.
“It will not be a very big celebration. All the family members will have a small get-together at home. Her cousins from Wardha and Amravati, apart from here will be there. She would be surprised to see all of them together,” she added.
Elated by her daughter’s success Dr Namrata, who has sacrificed her practice for Divya’s chess career, said she would give her daughter a gift of her own choice.
“It (gift) will be of Divya’s choice only. Whatever she wants I will give her,” said Namrata.
After winning her first world title in 2014 in Durban, Divya had to be content with third place finishes in the next two editions.
But after she went under the wings of GM RB Ramesh at his Chennai based Chess Gurukul, Divya’s performance shot up which helped her win the title on Thursday in the U-12 age category. Total 58 players from 27 Federations took part in the competition.
Divya’s first World title (U-10) came at the World Youth Chess Championship in Durban in 2014.
“Every coach has played a crucial part in Divya’s successful journey so far. She has learnt a lot from every coach. 
“Under RB Ramesh sir she has gained much more knowledge. As she is growing, her understanding is improving. As a player she is maturing fast and taking her own decision. Ramesh sir is giving personal attention to her. We are not bothered about ELO ratings. If she keeps on performing well her rating will automatically improve,” said Divya’s mother on her daughter’s journey ahead.
Divya has so far won the U-10 Asian blitz event in 2014 after winning the rapid and standard formats in the Asian Schools Championship in 2012. 
In 2013, Divya became the youngest woman FIDE Master. She has also won gold in the blitz section, silver in rapid and bronze in the classical version in the Asian Youth Championship held in Uzbekistan in April last year.