19-year-old Indian teen Divya Deshmukh will compete in the Open section of the 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss event in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from September 3 to 15. This marks a significant milestone in Divya’s career as she takes on an open event rather than a women-only event.
Divya Deshmukh Gets Wildcard Entry for 2025 FIDE Grand Swiss Open in Samarkand
Deshmukh, who recently made her country proud by winning the FIDE Women’s World Cup in Batumi, became India’s 88th Grandmaster and the first Indian woman to claim the title. She took to Instagram to confirm her wildcard entry and wrote, “So, the news I posted yesterday was that I will be participating in the Open Grand Swiss this year.” The International Chess Federation (FIDE) also announced that Russia’s 26-year-old Aleksandra Goryachkina, another Women’s Candidates qualifier, would also compete in the Open section alongside Deshmukh.
The open event has top talent from across the globe taking part. It also includes leading Indian Grandmasters such as reigning world champion D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, R Praggnanandhaa, and Nihal Sarin, who are among the top 20 seeds, making it a highly competitive tournament. Besides this, other international players like Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Alireza Firouzja, Anish Giri, and Ian Nepomniachtchi will also be participating. The event will also serve as a qualifier for the 2026 Candidates Tournament, with two spots empty.
Deshmukh’s decision to participate in the Open section reflects a growing trend in chess, where women are increasingly taking part in Open events to enhance their skills and experience. International Master and commentator Tania Sachdev has been a supporter of this approach. During the Chennai Grand Masters 2025, Sachdev said, “ Young girls should play in as many Open tournaments as possible, it allows them to train and compete against the strongest players, while women-specific titles continue to provide important recognition and opportunities.”
Divya’s participation comes right after a strong performance at the Women’s Speed Chess Championship 2025, a high-profile quarterfinals match with World No.1 Hou Yifan that ended in a tie-break where she lost by a narrow margin after scores were levelled. Deshmukh is not afraid of pushing the limits to challenge the best in the world, which has made her a force to reckon with on the international stage.
Playing the Open section of the Grand Swiss, Deshmukh will encounter a more varied field than that of women-only tournaments. Chess is among the limited number of sports that have such an open format where players can compete based on skill and not on gender. This gives immense exposure and an opportunity to challenge oneself against the best in business.
The nation is looking forward to watching the youngster Deshmukh compete against some of the very best in the world as the 2025 Grand Swiss Open is just around the corner. Her participation in the Open section represents both a personal milestone and a wake-up call for Indian chess, highlighting the increasing presence and competitiveness of women in mixed tournaments.
Yash Desai is a renowned journalist with over 10+ years of experience covering sports around the world. He began his career as a News Reporter in Delhi, India, and got an opportunity to cover several World events, including the Olympics, Paralympics, and World Games. He often felt that women’s sports are sidelined and given step-motherly treatment by the mainstream media. To bridge this gap and to build an equal playing field, Yash co-founded FemaleInSports and is currently working as a Lead Editor here.
Yash Desai is a renowned journalist with over 10+ years of experience covering sports around the world. He began his career as a News Reporter in Delhi, India, and got an opportunity to cover several World events, including the Olympics, Paralympics, and World Games. He often felt that women's sports are sidelined and given step-motherly treatment by the mainstream media. To bridge this gap and to build an equal playing field, Yash co-founded FemaleInSports and is currently working as a Lead Editor here.
