Chess in India has been at an all-time high since the last few months, and history was made when Divya Deshmukh became the 88th Grandmaster of India and the only fourth Indian woman Grandmaster on 28 July 2025. Divya has been the talk of the town for a long time, but she truly made her mark in the chess world by earning her GM title and also winning the FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025 against veteran Koneru Humpy.
Chess is mods than just a board game in India. It’s a battlefield, and only a few get the global fame, especially when it comes to Indian women Grandmasters. With that being said, let’s take a look at the only four Indian women who have reached this far in the world of chess and made the nation proud.
Indian Women Grandmasters In History
Koneru Humpy
Koneru Humpy isn’t just an Indian woman Grandmaster, but she’s the very first one. She was a chess sensation who changed the game forever. She became one of the youngest grandmasters in the world at just the age of 15, broke multiple records, and dominated the chess scene for years, and continues to do so even today. Her tactical genius earned her gold medals at the Olympiad and the Asian Games, and she even smashed the 2600 Elo-rating barrier, a feat achieved by only a handful of women in the whole world.
Harika Dronavalli
Born in 1991 in Guntur, Harika Dronavalli took the world by surprise when she became the second Indian woman Grandmaster in 2009. She’s not just a title-holder but a three-time bronze medalist at the Women’s World Chess Championship and won the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix in 2016. She received the Arjuna Award and Padma Shri for her immaculate story, and also crossed the 2600 Elo-rating mark.
Rameshbabu Vaishali
The youngest on this elite list was Vaishali, until Divya. She became an Indian woman Grandmaster in 2024 at the age of 23. She, along with her brother, R. Praggnanandhaa, became the world’s first sibling pair to reach the Grandmaster title. She’s known for her aggressive platform and is a rising star in what seems to be the golden age of Indian chess.
Divya Deshmukh
Divya Deshmukh became the fourth Indian woman Grandmaster on 28 July as she won the FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025. She defeated none other than GM Koneru Humpy in a dramatic tiebreaker and earned her GM title with this stunning win. She became the youngest Indian woman Grandmaster at the age of 19 and took the world by storm.
These four Indian women grandmasters have survived stereotypes, and each of them is a champion in her own right. So keep an eye on their performances, and this is just the beginning.
Also Read: Checkmate: Divya Deshmukh Secures GM Title and Wins FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025
