India’s Chess Stars Shine Bright: Awards and Recognition for Divya Deshmukh and Tania Sachdev

India’s chess stars continue to shine brightly as they receive well-deserved recognition for their outstanding achievements in the world of chess. This week, IMs Divya Deshmukh and Tania Sachdev were honored with prestigious awards, further solidifying India’s position as a chess powerhouse.

Last year, India made history with its double-gold victory in the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest and GM Gukesh Dommaraju’s triumph in Singapore to claim the world championship title. The celebrations have continued, with two awards ceremonies this week honoring the nation’s chess stars for their remarkable accomplishments.

At the 2025 Sportstar Aces Awards in Mumbai, the Indian Open and Women’s teams were awarded the National Team of the Year for their historic double-gold win at the Olympiad. GMs Vidit Gujrathi and Srinath Narayanan accepted the award on behalf of the Open team, while Divya, IM Vantika Agrawal, and coach GM Abhijit Kunte were present to receive the award for the Women’s category.

In addition to the team awards, Divya Deshmukh was also honored as the Sportswoman Of The Year for Non-Olympic sports. Known for her exceptional talent and dedication to the game, Divya is the world’s highest-ranked female player under 20 and the 2024 FIDE Girls World Junior Champion. She has been a key player in India’s success on the international chess stage and continues to inspire others with her achievements.

Meanwhile, Tania Sachdev was recognized at the 2024 BBC Indian Sportswoman Of The Year Awards in Delhi with the BBC Changemaker Award for her contributions to chess as a player and advocate for the sport. Tania, a seasoned IM and Chess.com commentator, has played a crucial role in promoting chess through her work on various broadcasts and was instrumental in India’s gold medal win in Budapest.

Both Divya and Tania have received praise and admiration for their dedication to the game and their efforts to break barriers in the world of chess. With their continued success and the rise of other talented players like Koneru Humpy, India’s dominance in the world of chess shows no signs of slowing down. Congratulations to these incredible chess stars on their well-deserved awards and recognition!