NEW DELHI: Under the opulent ceiling of the Grand Bellagio Batumi Convention Hotel in Georgia, time seemed to hold its breath earlier this year in July. Across the 64 squares sat two Indian queens: Koneru Humpy, calm as a still river with her decades of wisdom; on the other side, Divya Deshmukh, young, radiant, and unafraid to dream. It was the Women’s World Cup final. After two drawn classical games, Deshmukh saw Humpy falter under immense time pressure. As a result, the Nagpur-born 19-year-old became the youngest Women’s World Cup winner and India’s first to lift the coveted title. Ever since, despite the limelight and attention, the teenage Grandmaster (GM) has kept herself busy on both virtual and on-board fronts, from playing in the FIDE Grand Swiss as a wildcard to participating

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